We just wrapped up this summer’s “Favorite Hymn Countdown”. With that in mind, I’ve been reading through a new hymnal titled “Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church”. It contains 120 of the hymns that “every child – indeed, every Christian – should know,” written for everyone aged 9 and up.

Alongside the sheet music for each hymn is a word about the author of the lyrics, a word about the melody, a devotional thought to keep in mind as you sing, and a verse of Scripture upon which the hymn is based. Knowing the story behind the writing of a hymn or an interesting account of how the hymn has ministered to others who have come before us can cause the truths of the hymn to better resonate with us and sustain us.

In the preface to this hymnal, the authors address the question, “Why teach hymns to children?” The points made hold true for people of all ages:

• “They learn Bible content and doctrine. They observe the hearts of godly men and women. They encounter a little world history. And they imbibe the beauty of melody and harmony, poetry, and literature. A hymn is a treasure chest of learning. Some words, thoughts, and experiences they have not yet encountered, but their truths will serve them throughout life.” (14-15)

One of the hymns that was near the top of our countdown this summer is “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us,” written by Dorothy Thrupp and originally published in 1836 in a children’s hymnal.

40 years later, aboard a steamboat on the evening of Christmsomeone recognized that one of the passengers was Ira Sankey, a famous gospel singer. They asked him to sing for them, and so he obliged, but rather than singing a Christmas carol, he sang this hymn. Afterward, a man approached Ira and told him the story of how, as a Confederate soldier in 1862, he had snuck up on a Union soldier standing guard at night. Unaware of his impending death, the Union soldier had begun to sing this hymn. The Confederate soldier decided to let him finish singing, but then couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger and instead snuck away. 14 years later, there they were, standing face to face, for Sankey had been that Union soldier. The two former enemies then embraced.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan