Carl Boberg, a 26-year-old Swedish minister, wrote a poem in 1885 which he called “O Store Gud” (”O Mighty God”). The words, literally translated to English, said:

When I the world consider
Which Thou has made by Thine almighty Word
And how the web of life Thou wisdom guideth
And all creation feedeth at Thy board.
Then doth my soul burst forth in song of praise
Oh, great God,
Oh, great God!

His poem was published and “forgotten”, or so he thought….

Listen to the show to hear the rest of the story.

Today’s Music

Instrumental Version

Judson Hurd

Vocal Version

Steve Amerson
“How Great Thou Art/Be Exalted” (mp3)
from “Hymns and Gospel Songs”
(Amerson Music Ministries)

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Take Two

Revisiting the story behind “Jesus Loves Me”, perhaps the best known children’s hymn of all time. The reason we’re doing this is that, when I did it in HymnStories #2, I didn’t have a version of the music with the lyrics that was cleared for play in a podcast. Now that more music is available, I felt it was time to bring it back.

Jesus Loves Me

Lyrics: Anna B. Warner
Music: William B. Bradbury

Verse 1
Jesus loves me! this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong.

Chorus

Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so.

Verse 2
Jesus loves me! He who died,
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Verse 3
Jesus take this heart of mine,
Make it pure and wholly Thine;
Thou has bled and died for me,
I will hence-forth live for Thee.

Verse 4
Jesus loves me! He will stay,
Close beside me all the way;
He’s prepared a home for me,
And someday His face I’ll see.

Music In This Episode

Vocal Rendition

James Morrison
“Jesus Loves Me” (mp3)
from “James Morrison: Gospel Collection Volume One”
(Classic Fox Records)

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Instrumental Version

Special thanks to Larry Elliot for allowing me to use his version in the show.

Away In A Manger Was written in 1887, and is commonly known as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn.” But did the great German Reformer, Martin Luther, really write the words? Did he sing them by the cradle of his little son, Hans?

Listen to the show for a possible answer.

This hymn is beautifully performed by David Phelps, from his wonderful Christmas CD/DVD set “O Holy Night.”

Away In A Manger

Lyrics: Anonymous
Music: James R. Murray

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

The Lifespring! show has once again been nominated for a People’s Choice Podcast Award! The award organizers are encouraging everyone to vote ONCE A DAY from October 23, 2008 through November 6, 2008 for all of their favorite shows. Please vote each day for Lifespring!, and all your favorite shows. Voting is at http://PodcastAwards.com. Thank you!

Bouncing back– that’s a quality to be cultivated, because life is full of struggles. How do we become resilient? Unsinkable? Joyful amid the blows and burdens of life? This hymn tells us:

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved, He giveth me strength as my day.

This hymn by Fanny Crosby explains the author’s life, for Fanny faced three incredible hardships durning her ninety-five years. The first was her…

Listen to the show for the rest of the story, and to hear the stirring rendition by Scott Wesley Brown.

HE HIDETH MY SOUL

Lyrics: Fanny J. Crosby
Music: William J. Kirkpatrick

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Refrain

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

Refrain

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!

Refrain

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I’ll shout with the millions on high.

Jesus, I Come
1887

One of the best histories of the gospel song era is George Stebbins’ autobiography, Reminiscences and Gospel Hymn Stories. Stebbins was born in ht e mid-1880s in New York and showed early musical prowess. At age twenty-three, he moved to Chicago where he worked in churches and became acquainted with some of the “greats” of gospel music, such as Sankey and Bliss. In the late 1870s, D. L. Moody got hold of him, sending him into a lifetime of music evangelism.

Listen to the show for Stebbins’ account of the first time he and D. L. Moody ministered together, and how “Jesus, I Come” came to be written.

Music on Today’s Show

The instrumental version is from Worship Service Resources, 
and is used by permission.

Scott Wesley Brown graciously granted permission to use his beautiful rendition of an updated version of this classic hymn.

Then Sings my Soul 2 Set – Volumes 1 + 2

Jesus, I Come

Lyrics: William T. Sleeper
Music: George C. Stebbins 

1. Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
   Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
   Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,
   Jesus, I come to Thee;
   Out of my sickness, into Thy health,
   Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
   Out of my sin and into Thyself,
   Jesus, I come to Thee.
2. Out of my shameful failure and loss,
   Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
   Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
   Jesus, I come to Thee;
   Out of earth’s sorrows, into Thy balm,
   Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
   Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
   Jesus, I come to Thee.
3. Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
   Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
   Into Thy blessed will to abide,
   Jesus, I come to Thee;
   Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
   Out of despair, into raptures above,
   Upward for aye on wings like a dove,
   Jesus, I come to Thee.
4. Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
   Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
   Into the joy and light of Thy home,
   Jesus, I come to Thee;
   Out of the depths of ruin untold,
   Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
   Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
   Jesus, I come to Thee.

Jesus must have been a bird watcher, because we see Him refer to birds many times in scripture. Listen to the show for the story of how this encouraging hymn was inspired.

Our hymn is performed beautifully by Natalie Nicole Gilbert.

His Eye Is On The Sparrow
Lyrics: Civilla D. Martin
Music: Charles H. Gabriel

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Dottie Rambo went to be with the Lord on May 11, 2008.

This episode of Lifespring! HymnStories is dedicated to the memory of one of this generation’s most prolific writers of Christian music.

Written during the darkest hour of the American Civil War, this hymn is based on the twenty-third Psalm. Listen to the show for the author’s own account of its writing.

Music on the show:

The London Fox Singers
“He Leadeth Me” (mp3)
from “Hymn styles – Praise Ensemble”
(Classic Fox Records)

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He Leadeth Me
Words: Joseph H. Gilmore
Music: William B. Bradbury

He leadeth me, O bless’d thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the victory’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Troubles within the church inspired this stirring hymn. Listen to the show for the whole story, and a great rendition of the song.
Today’s Music
Worship Service Resources

James Morrison
“The Church’s One Foundation” (mp3)
from “James Morrison: Gospel Collection Volume Two”
(Classic Fox Records)

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The Church’s One Foundation

Lyrics: Samuel J. Stone
Music: Samuel S. Wesley

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

She is from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.

The Church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish,
Is with her to the end:
Though there be those who hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against both foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed:
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song!

’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won,
With all her sons and daughters
Who, by the Master’s hand
Led through the deathly waters,
Repose in Eden land.

O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee:
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales the Bride
With Thee by living fountains
Forever shall abide!