After the service I told Jeremy that there were certain songs I was very glad that we didn’t sing. One in particular was “It Is Well”. Even when all may be going just fine in my life, that is a tough song to get through. I honestly don’t know how you can sing the 3rd verse without at least getting choked up.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but theEven more when you know the history behind the song (read it here), it adds a whole other meaning to it. How someone can go through so much tragedy & still praise God saying “It is well with my soul” is such a great example to me. When you go through trials that’s not an easy thing to say.
whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord,
praise the Lord, O my soul!
There are a few other songs that also bring me to tears. One I’ve mentioned before is “Be Still My Soul”, which I posted here. That song is such a great comfort to me. I also love “Nearer, Still Nearer” because that was a favorite hymn at BJU & it could just give you chills to have 5,000 voices singing in parts.
So what are the hymns that are tough for you to get through? And why? Is it the doctrine of the lyrics or is there a personal story that you associate with them? Please share!
3 comments:
I'm with you on Nearer, Still Nearer. That was my grandma's favorite song and was sung at her funeral. Every time I hear it I think of her, but I also think of the verse that talks about being near to God on earth until we're safe in glory. Once we're in glory we'll be near to God throughout eternity. Anyway, that song gets me every time.
I am praying for you. Wish I could come see you...I miss Zaxby's, too! :)
Hey Shelly, it's Ben Power.
Most hymns don't get to me, I think because I'm used to being on stage and having to channel lots of emotion into music and still keep my voice and instrumental playing stable (and maybe because there are some which lack sound doctrine or poetic impact, or that simply remind me of the strife and quarreling in the Church). But it's also interesting that the two that affect me enough to crack my voice are the ones you mentioned - 'Be Still, My Soul' and 'It Is Well.' I also sometimes have a little trouble with 'How Great Thou Art.'
Another one I was just listening to is by Jason Upton, called 'Hailey.' I don't know where the name came from, but he sings:
"We are praying for a nation broken down;
We are gathered as a people crying out.
Come and hear the prayer of a broken heart;
Heal us like only You can do."
It resonates in me as I see a world broken down and sinking in postmodern filth, a church splintered over a thousand hobby-horses (making clean the outside of the cup while the inside is full of wickedness), and my own life lacking love and devotion to the God who has never deserved infidelity.
As to why it affects me… It has plagued me for a long time that God is so awesome that no man-made music can express it (I Cor. 13 – now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face). I think that worship in my heart is what makes the music special – it’s good, and the Spirit in me resonates my heart with God’s heart through the music. But I know the best is yet to come and we haven’t even come close yet.
Right now my favorite is 'I Am Debtor' written by Robert Murray McCheyne with music by Matthew Smith (he has it listed as 'All I Owe').
In case you may not be aware of it, FPC Jackson, Mississippi (home to Ligon Duncan and Derek Thomas) broadcast a weekly radio program, 'Hymns of the Faith'. They talk about the background of the author, the tune, the context and early use of hymns.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/HymnsOfTheFaithRadioProgram
Post a Comment