Skip to main content

Hymn of the Week – I'll Seek His Blessings

Poetry and music by A. M. Cagle, 1959

My hope is in the Lord,
The blessed, bleeding Lamb,
I’ll seek His blessings every noon,
And pay my vows at night.

I had my music playing on shuffle yesterday evening, and this is usually a good arrangement since most of the music I listen to is fairly peaceful. However, I was a bit startled when suddenly this rousing Sacred Harp tune in a minor key came bursting forth from my speakers.

This particular hymn is a good example of the ongoing tradition that Sacred Harp is—while many Sacred Harp tunes date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, this song was written in the 1950s. They sing it at a quicker pace in the recording I have, but the video above is a good example as well. Amazon has a few recordings of it for 99 cent download; the one I have is from the album “In Sweetest Union Join,” which I highly recommend if you want to get a large variety of Sacred Harp songs for a good price.

Hymn of the Week – God Himself Is with Us

In the University Chorale we have been preparing to record some of our music, and this grueling work was begun yesterday. We are putting together an album of traditional hymns, and although most of them are already familiar to me, I have been introduced to a few that I did not know previously. This is one of these, a majestic German hymn reminding us of God’s unceasing presence.

Poetry by Gerยญhard Terยญsteeยญgen, translated into English by Fredยญerยญick Fosยญter & John Miller
Music by Joยญaยญchim Neยญanยญder

God Himself is with us
Let us now adore Him,
And with awe appear before Him.
God is in His temple,
All within keep silence,
And before Him bow with reverence,
Him alone,
God we own;
To our Lord and Savior;
Praises sing forever.

God Himself is with us;
Whom angelic legions
Serve with awe in heavenly regions.
“Holy, Holy, Holy,”
Sing the hosts of heaven,
Praise to God be ever given.
Bow Thine ear
To us here;
Hear, O Christ, the praises
That Thy church now raises.

O Thou fount of blessing,
Purify my spirit;
Trusting only in Thy merit,
Like the holy angels
Who behold Thy glory,
May I ceaselessly adore Thee,
And in all,
Great and small,
Seek to do most nearly
What Thou lovest dearly.

Amazon MP3 downloads of this song: David Slater, The York College Concert Choir.
Cyber Hymnal entry

Hymn of the Week – Jesus Is Mine

Borrowing a blogging tradition from The Common Room (arguably my mother’s favorite blog), I am going to begin posting the words to a selected hymn every Lord’s day.ย  The first in this series will be “Jesus Is Mine,” which I sang with the Pinson congregation this morning.ย  I was really moved by the lyrics (especially the third verse), and I hope you will be too.

Poetry by Jane Bonar (1845)
Music by Theodore Perkins (1858)

Fade, fade, each earthly joy, Jesus is mine!
Break every tender tie, Jesus is mine!
Dark is the wilderness, Earth has no resting place,
Jesus alone can bless, Jesus is mine!

Tempt not my soul away, Jesus is mine!
Here would I ever stay, Jesus is mine!
Perishing things of clay, born but for one brief day,
Pass from my heart away, Jesus is mine!

Farewell, ye dreams of night, Jesus is mine!
Lost in this dawning light, Jesus is mine!
All that my soul has tried left but a dismal void;
Jesus has satisfied, Jesus is mine!

Farewell, mortality, Jesus is mine!
Welcome, eternity, Jesus is mine!
Welcome, oh, loved and blest, welcome sweet scenes of rest,
Welcome, my Saviorโ€™s breast, Jesus is mine!

(Accessed at the Cyberhymnal)