I admit it—I’m reminiscing today. Differing events of life have reminded me of worship services of days long gone—of my first days as a believer when we sang hymn after hymn each Sunday. I knew nothing else, and hymns were the only thing our church ever sang. I’m not arguing, though, that these hymns were better than strong contemporary praise choruses today; I’m simply saying that remembering these hymns has been recently encouraging to me. See how many of these songs you remember:
- “Just as I Am”
- “Rescue the Perishing”
- “At the Cross”
- “I Stand Amazed in the Presence”
- “Blessed be the Name”
- “There is a Fountain”
- “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
- “Pentecostal Power”
- “Wonderful Words of Life”
- “There is Power in the Blood”
- “Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It!”
- “Sweet Hour of Prayer”
- “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”
- “I Need Thee Every Hour”
- “Jesus, Keep Me near the Cross”
- “Standing on the Promises”
- “Send the Light”
- “Let Others See Jesus in You”
- “Jesus Saves”
- “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks”
Well . . . how many do you remember?
I sing “victory in Jesus” to my kids often! My favorite is “there’s just something about that name”!
At a denominational meeting here in Europe this fall, I heard a concert violinist unexpectedly play a beautiful arrangement of “Now I Belong to Jesus.” I had not thought about that hymn in decades, and it was a special encouragement to have the words come back to my mind. (OK, my eyes watered up.)
I remember and still sing them all with the exception of “Let Others See Jesus in You.” That one is unfamiliar to me.
This list is not exhaustive but it includes a number of hymns and worship songs that have been particularly meaningful to me. They are in particular order: “What wondrous love is this, O my soul;” “Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart;” “Jesus, lover of my soul” (my grandmother’s favorite hymn); “I want to walk a child of the light;” “Holy, holy,Lord God almighty, worthy is the Lamb that was slain;” “My Shepherd will supply my needs;” “Brother, sister, let me serve you;” “Christ beside me, Christ before me;” “Jesus, good above all other” (my favorite hymn as a child); “Morning has broken;” “Awake, awake to love and work;” “I danced in the morning” (“Lord of the dance”); “Ye watchers and ye holy ones;” “When morning fills the skies;” “I have decided to follow Jesus;” “I, the Lord of sea and sky” (“Here I am Lord”); “You satisfy the hungry heart” (“Gift of finest wheat”); “I heard the voice of Jesus say” (to the tune KINGSFOLD); “For the beauty of the earth” (to the tune ENGLAND’S LANE); and “Jesus, I have promised ” (to the tune NYLAND/KUORTANE);
I can sing them all except Pentecostal power . Love them !
I love these hymns and miss them. I don’t understand why so many song leaders are trying to leave them out completely. More people sing when those are played, and they speak to many. It seems some must have the beat of the drums, and the guitar sound, and repetitive choruses. My rant is over!