33rd Day of Easter - Jesus Paid It All

Some artists create deep reservoirs of good work we can return to again and again. Fernando Ortega is such an artist. By keeping his arrangements simple, he avoids rooting them in a specific decade.

Jesus Paid It All- Fernando Ortega

According to a story on Christianity.com, Elvira Hall wrote the words to this song in the fly leaf of her hymnal while sitting in the choir loft of Monument Street Methodist Church in Baltimore on a Sunday morning In 1865. She showed them to her pastor, who realized they would work well with a tune that the church organist, John Grape, had recently created. Hall and Grape finished the song together, sent it off to a publisher, and it has been a congregational favorite in many churches ever since.

If you enjoy a country sound, here it is by Joey and Rory. Joey was featured here a few days ago singing “Softly and Tenderly.”

Jesus Paid It All - Joey and Rory

32nd Day of Easter - O For aThousand Tongues to Sing

This is not the tune most Americans expect to hear. After searching for good recordings of the more familiar AZMON melody, I gave in and fell in love with this version.

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing - Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band

It is toe-tapping wonderful. Here is a large congregational choir singing the same LYNGHAM tune:

LYNGHAM - O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

Charles Wesley wrote the hymn, “Glory to God, and praise and love, be ever, ever given” in 1739 to commemorate the one year anniversary of his Christian renewal. It was published in 1740 and has been sung since then, in some form or another, by Methodists and most other Protestants. In subsequent years it has been shortened to verses 7-10 or so. Some of the words sounds insensitive to our ears, but they probably wouldn’t have in Wesley’s day.

I first learned the song when I was in high school, singing in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Choir. Graham came to Atlanta in 1973, and I was a new Christian and just old enough to join other members of my church in volunteering with the choir and counseling teams. The pastor of that church, Jim Swilley, passed away last week. He shepherded Faith Memorial Assembly of God through some tough, lean times, but it was an exciting time to a new Christian. Thank you, Brother Swilley. May you Rest In Peace, eternally in the memory of Christ.

1. Glory to God, and praise and love,
Be ever, ever given;
By saints below and saints above,
The Church in earth and heaven.

2. On this glad day the glorious Sun
Of righteousness arose,
On my benighted soul he shone,
And filled it with repose.

3. Sudden expired the legal strife;
'Twas then I ceased to grieve.
My second, real, living life,
I then began to live.

4. Then with my heart I first believed,
Believed with faith divine;
Power with the Holy Ghost received
To call the Saviour mine.

5. I felt my Lord's atoning blood
Close to my soul applied;
Me, me he loved - the Son of God
For me, for me he died!

6. I found and owned his promise true,
Ascertained of my part,
My pardon passed in heaven I know,
When written on my heart.

7. O For a thousand tongues to sing
My dear Redeemer's praise!
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

8. My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the world abroad
The honors of Thy name.

9. Jesus! the Name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
'Tis music in the sinner's ears,
'Tis life, and health, and peace.

10. He breaks the power of cancell'd sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood avail'd for me.

11. He speaks, - and, listening to his voice,
New life the dead receive;
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice;
The humble poor believe.

12. Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
Your loosen'd tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Saviour come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

13. Look unto him, ye nations; own
Your God, ye fallen race;
Look, and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.

14. See all your sins on Jesus laid;
The Lamb of God was slain;
His soul was once an offering made
For every soul of man.

15. Harlots, and publicans, and thieves,
In holy triumph join!
Saved is the sinner that believes,
From crimes as great as mine.

16. Murderers, and all ye hellish crew,
Ye sons of lust and pride,
Believe the Savior died for you;
For me the Saviour died.

17. Awake from guilty nature's sleep,
And Christ shall give you light,
Cast all your sins into the deep,
And wash the AEthiop white.

18. With me, your chief, ye then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.

31st Day of Easter - Needed Time

My friend Gail sent me this song. It was familiar but I had not paid attention to the words, “Right now is the needed time...I’m down on my bended knees, prayin’ won’t you come by here...” A simple, profound prayer, but the words take on special significance as we are in a most unusual period of time now.

Needed Time - Eric Bibb

Here is an earlier version that part of the soundtrack to the movie Sounder.

Needed Time - Lightnin Hopkins

Thanks, Gail!

30th Day of Easter - The UK Blessing

This is wonderful! Even if you are getting tired of watching compilation music videos like this, take the time to watch and listen to this diverse group of Christians in the UK singing words of blessing from the book of Numbers.

The UK Blessing

(Did anyone else get teary-eyed when the Salvation Army guys started singing?)

29th Day of Easter - Softly and Tenderly

I had not heard of Joey Feek  until I saw this video going around on Facebook, a little over four years ago, asking for prayers for this young mother who was dying of cervical cancer. Joey was an established country singer who performed with her husband, Rory Feek. They had a precious daughter together who appears in the video. The video is unforgettable - the song takes on a whole new meaning, less about repentance and more about a weary soul going home to be with Jesus in death.

Softly and Tenderly - Joey Feek

It is worth taking a few minutes to search Joey’s name and read about her. I was able to read some of her last blog posts years ago and was struck by her sweet faith as she faced death with courage and grace. I regretted not knowing about her sooner.

28th Day of Easter - Mother’s Day Sing

People use this “sheltering at home” season in different ways. This family has used it to create uplifting, encouraging, God-honoring, and laugh-out-loud funny music videos. The girls need a word or two before the next video or they may knock dad right off the piano stool!

This is the Getty’s Mother’s Day Sing.

You can watch them stream live on Tuesday evenings at 7:15 Central Time. The girls are watching “likes,” and hearts and such float up the screen as they perform.

This Tuesday, May 12, they will have a bluegrass singalong. For more info about that, check their Getty Music website.

27th Day of Easter - When They Ring Those Golden Bells

The unbelievably low voice which begins this song belongs to the bass in a group called The Acappella Company.  The singers appear to be comfy, standing round rehearsing in someone’s basement. Take a listen.

When They Ring Those Golden Bells

This song has the sentimentality typical of mid-19th century poetry, but it has a sweetness as well. The songwriter was a young immigrant named Daniel de Marbelle. It is unclear if de Marbelle came from France or Spain as a young child, and as an adult he lived in various places and had many occupations from working a whaling ship, serving as a drummer or drum major in both the Mexican-American war and for the Union in the Civil War. He eventually found work as a musician and clown in the James Anthony Bailey Circus which later became part of the P.T. Barnum circus. Along the way, de Marbelle wrote “When They Ring Those Golden Bells,” but he supposedly was cheated out of the copyright and died without receiving any payment for the song, which went on to become quite popular.