Favourite Hymn, why and when ?

[Guinivere]

The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended

The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank Thee that Thy church, unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.

As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ’neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,
Like earth’s proud empires, pass away:
Thy kingdom stands, and grows forever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

John Ellerton, 1870

I heard this hymn when I visited Canterbury Cathedral and it has stayed with me. I have marked the passages I like best.
I like the idea that when a part of the world is already resting we know that someplace somewhere somebody is singing praise.

[Chester]

Beautiful.

I always liked Christmas hymns best and, especially, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" mainly because of this line:
"The hopes and fears
of all the years
are met in Thee tonight."
So much there, in so few words.

Yet "Silent Night" might reign in my mind as the most beautiful hymn of all.

[El Viejo]

I've always liked "Amazing Grace," ever since I heard Carol King sing it.

Other than that, I liked Larry Norman's "The Son Began to Reign" for it's imagery and optimism, and Keith Green's "My Eyes Are Dry" because it cut so sharply.

[ballb]

I always get goosebumps from the old traditional Sussex Carol "Shepherds Arise". Sadly few people outside of the East Sussex area of southern England will of heard of it. So it will mean nothing to our American cousins I fear.

[Guinivere]

I always get goosebumps from the old traditional Sussex Carol "Shepherds Arise". Sadly few people outside of the East Sussex area of southern England will of heard of it. So it will mean nothing to our American cousins I fear.

I especially like this part,

For us the Saviour came on earth, for us his life he gave,
To save us from eternal death
And to raise us from the grave.

[kilted exile]

When I was still attending church this was one of my favourites

God of concrete, God of steel,
God of piston and of wheel,
God of pylon, God of steam,
God of girder and of beam,
God of atom, God of mine:
All the world of power is thine.

Lord of cable, Lord of rail,
Lord of freeway and of mail,
Lord of rocket and of flight,
Lord of soaring satellite,
Lord of lightning's flashing line:
All the world of speed is thine.

Lord of science, Lord of art,
Lord of map and graph and chart,
Lord of physics and research,
Word of Bible, faith of church,
Lord of sequence and design:
All the world of truth is thine.

God whose glory fills the earth,
Gave the universe its birth,
Loosed the Christ with Easter's might,
Saves the world from evil's blight,
Claims us all by grace divine:
All the world of love is thine.

[Niamh]

Here I am Lord


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I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard My people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
My hand will save.

I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear My light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have born my peoples pain.
I have wept for love of them, They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak My word to them,
Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them,
My hand will save
Finest bread I will provide,
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give My life to them,
Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.

[Whifflingpin]

God of our fathers, known of old--
Lord of our far-flung battle line
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe--
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the law--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard--
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard--
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!

[togre]

1. Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me;
Died that I might live on high,
Lived that I might never die,
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.

2. Oh, the height of Jesus' love!
Higher than the heavens above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity.
Love that found me--wondrous thought!--
Found me when I sought Him not.

3. Jesus only can impart
Comfort to a wounded heart;
Peace that flows from sin forgiven,
Joy that lifts the soul to heaven;
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.

4. Chief of sinner though I be,
Christ is All in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
Safe with Him from earthly strife,
I await the heavenly life.

5. Strengthen me, O gracious Lord,
By Thy Spirit and Thy Word!
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.

[mrsmtpspur]

Mine is How Great Thou Art. It has been a favorite for the words of praise to God and because it was my Dad's favorite.

[Neo_Sephiroth]

One of my favorite hymns..."Brightly Beams Our Fathers Mercy"...I've come to love the hymns.

At first, I thought it sounded horrible 'cause it was church music...Yeah...I came to love SOME of it.

Anyway, its all good.

[Virgil]

Not really sure if this is my favorite, but it is moving. Great melody.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

-Battle Hymn of the Republic

[wilbur lim]

I relish the hymn of 'How great thou art'.Behold,here is how it goes-
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

I literally relish it invariably,that was the first hymn I had ever read.

Ah,yes,I would like thee to go to this link-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T664Z3dkudo

[Deng Xiang]

The hymn -A call to prayer seems stimulating to me.

Softly the evening vespers
Hallow the closing day;
Sweetly the Savior whispers,
“Come to the throne and pray.”

Refrain:
Softly I hear Him calling,
Calling at close of day;
Sweetly His tones are falling,
“Come to the throne and pray.”

Come, ere the shadows lengthen,
Bring Him thy burdened heart;
Come where His grace may strengthen,
Come from thy cares apart.

Smiles of His love await thee,
Lighting His lovely face;
Just to behold His beauty,
Dwell in the secret place.

Boldly we may approach Him,
Mercy and grace to own;
Tempted like us, He bid us
Come to the Father’s throne.

[byquist]

"What a Friend We Have in Jesus" has a jubilant rhythm and zeal to it. Of all places, first heard it on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific off Vietnam.