New Year, Old Hymns

Well, the year 2006 is all done and gone. The new year is here. May it be a blessed one for you and your family.

Yesterday at church we spent the whole day focusing on the hymns of the Church of Christ. We thought about the rich inheritance that we have in them, learned the Scriptures that apply to them, and heard many interesting facts about many of their authors. Then, last night, we had a precious time singing many of them at our pastor’s home as we closed out the old year. I’m sure it’s well known to many folks about my love for the hymns and that next to the Word of God, they are the dearest writings to me. So yesterday was an especially blessed day for me.

Our pastor made up a little booklet which we’re each going to keep with us this coming year and it contains selected hymns that we as a congregation are hoping to incorporate into our hearts. It is called “Hymns for 2007 – A Rich Heritage of Hymns for the People of God” for our church family. It contains 27 of them that he has selected for us. But these are just a sampling of thousands that have enriched God’s Church.

If you are like me and love hymns, think about memorizing some words from these treasures from God. Most of those who wrote them are long gone to glory, but they have left us riches that we can sow into the hearts of others, especially our children. Let’s use these words given by our Lord to people like Isaac Watts, Fanny Crosby, Charles Wesley, Frances Havergal, and countless others to glorify His name. (And as we were reminded, there are a few modern day authors, such as James Montgomery Boice that are also worth our attention.) Let’s use their words to give us comfort, joy, hope, repentance, and so much more. Let’s pass them on here and abroad!

I thought it would be nice to start off the year with the first hymn in our little booklet, which is one of the two which we will be singing in January. I hope it is an expression of your joy in our wonderful Lord:

Come we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song of sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.

Let those refuse to sing,
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King,
May speak their joys abroad.

The men of grace have found,
Glory begun below;
Celestial fruits on earthly ground,
From faith and hope may grow.

The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden streets.

Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground
To fairer worlds on high.

~ Isaac Watts, 1707