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Hymn History: All That Thrills My Soul & Author: Thoro Harris “His greatest success was achieved with his favourite song… one contemporary recalled him as ‘a very energetic person, walking about the city almost constantly carrying a little canvas handbag in which he carried copies of his song-books for sale.’” (Praise!) The Origin of the Hymn “All That Thrills Read more...
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Hymn History: Anywhere with Jesus & Author: Jessie Brown Pounds “Her ability to express deep spiritual truths in simple, heartfelt language made her a favourite among churches and Sunday schools.” (referring to her hymn “Anywhere With Jesus”) (Hymnal Library) The Origin of the Hymn “Anywhere with Jesus” The hymn “Anywhere with Jesus” is a beautiful expression of trust, courage, Read more...
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Hymn History: Beneath the Cross of Jesus & Author: Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane “She was one of those cheerful people who brighten every corner… Her friends called her ‘Sunbeam’.” (Diana Leagh Matthews) The Origin of the Hymn “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” Among the tender and reflective hymns of the Christian faith, few express such heartfelt devotion and gratitude for Read more...
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Hymn History: Brethren We Have Met to Worship & Author: George Askins or Atkins “He was a man of small stature, and a cripple, one of his legs being withered up to the hip; yet he was more active on foot than any cripple I ever saw. Notwithstanding his bodily infirmity, he was full of spirit, and a stranger to Read more...
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Hymn History: Bring Them In & Author: Alexcenah Thomas “Sunday School workers began to recognize that music was a natural way to teach the children and provide scriptural and life lessons for them to easily remember. This is a song which was written for Sunday School sometime in the early 1880s … Alexcenah Thomas was aware of this movement, which Read more...
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Hymn History: Channels Only & Author: Mary Elizabeth Dobell Maxwell “The writer of this verse was Mary Elizabeth Dobell Maxwell. She wrote four known hymns, but beyond that little is known about her. … What is known from her hymns is that she understood the New Covenant life of surrender to Christ and living only by His life in her.” Read more...
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Hymn History: Search Me, O God & Author: James Edwin Orr “Some men read history, some write it, and others make it. So far as the history of religious revivals is concerned, J. Edwin Orr belongs to all three categories.” (F. F. Bruce) The Origin of the Hymn “Search Me, O God” Few hymns express a more personal cry Read more...
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Hymn History: Come, Christians, Join to Sing & Author: Christian Henry Bateman “Children become adults, but all adults are still children… Perhaps Bateman wanted to tap into that well of joy that kids so easily gravitate toward, reminding us what joy we adults have…” (David Cain) The Origin of the Hymn “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” Among the most Read more...
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Hymn History: Fairest Lord Jesus & Translator: Joseph Augustus Seiss “His contemporaries described him as ‘an eloquent pulpit orator’ and said his ‘style is clear, ornate, attractive, and forcible.’” (Wikipedia) The Origin of the Hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus” Among the world’s most beloved hymns exalting the beauty and majesty of Christ, “Fairest Lord Jesus” holds a cherished place in Read more...
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Hymn History: Faith Is the Victory & Translator: John Henry Yates “Life wasn’t always easy for John H. Yates … He knew hard work. … Shortly after his interaction with Ira D. Sankey, Yates wrote ‘Faith Is the Victory’. … Yates knew what it meant to ‘let tents of ease be left behind’, but he recognized that there is reward Read more...
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Hymn History: Footsteps of Jesus & Author: Mary Bridges Canady Slade “She and her husband were active in the Underground Railroad. … She authored children’s magazine Wide-Awake and Sunday school materials, primarily for training teachers.” (Bible Exchange) The Origin of the Hymn “Footsteps of Jesus” Among the tender and devotional hymns that call believers to follow Christ in daily Read more...
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Hymn History: Give of Your Best to the Master & Author: Howard Benjamin Grose “This hymn calls believers to wholehearted devotion to Christ. Grose … was known for his passionate dedication to missions and Christian service, and this hymn reflects that same spirit.” (Bible Exchange) The Origin of the Hymn “Give of Your Best to the Master” Among the Read more...
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Hymn History: God Be with You ‘Till We Meet Again & Author: Jeremiah Eames Rankin “That gifted hymn-writer, Jeremiah Eames Rankin, tells us that the two most useful farewell hymns in the world are Blest Be the Tie That Binds and God Be With You ’Til We Meet Again.” (W. H. Bergherm) The Origin of the Hymn “God Be Read more...
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Hymn History: God Leads Us Along & Author: George A. Young “This song is a reminder that God’s providence is still with us even in our difficult moments … The author of this song … was a rural preacher and carpenter whose fame only came after he was already dead.” (Christianmusicandhymns.com) The Origin of the Hymn “God Leads Us Read more...
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Hymn History: Happy the Home When God Is There & Author: Henry Ware “He was kind to children, and had a happy influence with them.… He said he did not wish to set the child an example of obstinate willfulness, but would rather let him see that the strongest must and could yield sometimes.” (Samuel A. Eliot) The Origin Read more...
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Hymn History: He Keeps Me Singing & Author: Luther Burgess Bridgers Sr. “In spite of ‘life’s ebb and flow,’ he felt his heart filled with a melody whispered by Jesus: ‘Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still.’ … He knew that even though we may feel overwhelmed by the hardships in life, this truth keeps us singing God’s Read more...
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Hymn History: He the Pearly Gates Will Open & Translator: Nathaniel Carlson The Origin of the Hymn “He the Pearly Gates Will Open” Few gospel hymns express the transforming power of divine grace as movingly as “He the Pearly Gates Will Open.” Written in 1917 by Fredrick Arvid Blom, a Swedish immigrant to America, the hymn tells the story Read more...
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Hymn History: Heavenly Sunlight & Author: Henry Jefferys Zelley “From what we know of Henry Zelley … he was an evangelist for 40 years … He urged hearers to seek the ‘promise divine’, the ‘mansions above’ by travelling in the ‘sunlight of love’.” (David Cain) The Origin of the Hymn “Heavenly Sunlight” Among the joyful gospel songs of the Read more...
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Probably the largest Christian bookstore in America, and one of the few surviving in the hub of Christian publishing. A History of Christian Publishing in Grand Rapids: Beginning from humble origins in a small Dutch immigrant kolonie in Grand Rapids, Michigan, two families diverged into four Evangelical publishing houses that have, through shrewd business practices, financial frugality, and the sheer Read more...
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As the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, he has become the name and face associated with business owners standing up for their deeply held religious beliefs. He’s in the midst of his third lawsuit and his business has suffered, but Jack stands strong. From Wikipedia: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 584 U.S. 617 (2018), was a case in the Supreme Read more...