Behind the Praise - Sunday January 2, 2010

"Take my Life and Let it Be"

Frances R. Havergal wrote the following about how he wrote the song: I went for a little visit of five days (to Areley House). There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted and long prayed for, some converted, but not rejoicing Christians. He gave me the prayer, “Lord, give me all in this house!” And He just did. Before I left the house every one had got a blessing. The last night of my visit after I had retired, the governess asked me to go to the two daughters. They were crying, then and there both of them trusted and rejoiced; it was nearly midnight. I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration; and these little couplets formed themselves, and chimed in my heart one after another till they finished with “Ever, Only, ALL for Thee!”

Click here to hear a newer version of the hymn
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEzbwcMG9Gc

Click here for a great arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU9Pi4g_3No

“Forever Reign”

Hillsongs music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3EGgISYMc


Oh, I’m running to Your arms,
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

"Jesus Paid it All"

The following is from Alex Nifong who wrote the additional chorus:

I have an old hymnal that I frequently play through sometimes during my private times alone with the Lord. I was playing through that song one day in Jan of 05 and I just started praying and singing out the phrase O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead. It was as simple as that. Just a prayer that came right out of my heart.

This is a new arrangement of the old hymn, based on the recording from the Passion album "Everything glorious". It adds a new line "O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead". Check out the composer of the tag on his website www.alexnifong.com/

Here’s a story about the song:The words were written by Elvina M. Hall and the music by John T. Grape on New Year’s night, 1886, some missionaries were holding open-air services in order to attract passers-by to a near-by mission, where meetings were to be held later. "All to Christ I owe" was sung, and after a gentleman had given a short address he hastened away to the mission. He soon heard footsteps close behind him and a young woman caught up with him and said: "I heard you addressing the open-air meeting just now; do you think, sir, that Jesus could save a sinner like me?"The gentleman replied that there was no doubt about that, if she was anxious to be saved. She told him that she was a servant girl, and had left her place that morning after a disagreement with her mistress. As she had been wandering about the streets in the dark, wondering where she was to spend the night, the sweet melodies of this hymn had attracted her, and she drew near and listened attentively. As the different verses were being sung, she felt that the words surely had something to do with her. Through the whole service she seemed to hear what met her oppressed soul’s need at that moment. God’s Spirit had showed her what a poor, sinful and wretched creature she was, and had led her to ask what she must do. On hearing her experience, the gentleman took her back to the mission and left her with the ladies in charge. The young, wayward woman was brought to Christ that night. A situation was secured for her in a minister’s family. There she became ill and had to be taken to a hospital. She rapidly failed and it became evident that she would not be long on earth. One day the gentleman whom she had met on New Year’s night was visiting her in the ward. After quoting a few suitable verses of Scripture, he repeated her favorite hymn, "All to Christ I owe"…and she seemed overwhelmed with the thought of coming to glory…Two hours afterward she passed away.

Click here to worship along
www.youtube.com/watch?v=onxhvivQYfI

Click here to worship along with a younger generation led by Kristian Stanfill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-OOjfaBGnA&mode=related&search=

You can go here to Kristians' myspace and click on the song just to listen
www.myspace.com/kristianstanfill

WOW - here it is in Spanish
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRRBtWP_buA

"Stronger"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv55FMjeMV0

Behind the Praise, Sunday December 12, 2010

"Sing Hosanna" - Quartet

"Angels We have Heard on high"

The words of the song are based on a traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos Campagnes (literally, The Angels in our Countryside). Its most common English version was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick. It is most commonly sung to the hymn tune "Gloria", as arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes. Its most memorable feature is its chorus:
Gloria in Excelsis Deo! (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest")

Click here to listen to the Third Day arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K17zGHFrKU

"Glorious Impossible" - Worship choir & Quartet
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3EdX8-heAc

"My Soul Magnifies the Lord"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y459G_4cFnM

""Hark the Herald Angels Sing"

“Hark the herald angels sing” Christmas Carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A sombre man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDPwNPAV6tAg:

Click here see the various arrangements available:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hark+the+herald+angels+sing&search_type=&aq=f

Lottie Moon video

"The First Noel"

The word Nowell comes from the French word Noël meaning "Christmas", from the Latin word natalis ("birth"). It may also be from the Gaulish words "noio" or "neu" meaning "new" and "helle" meaning "light" referring to the winter solstice when sunlight begins overtaking darkness.


Click here to read more about the song:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_No%C3%ABl#Animaniacs_parody

Click here to hear Helmut Lotti sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=We4xRHMuCNg&feature=related**

Click here for an interesting arrangement - one person, two guitars:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cyWiw3cSOI

Offertory - "We Three Kings"

Behind the Praise - Sunday December 5, 2010

"Go Tell It on the Mountain"
Go tell it on the mountain is an African-American spiritual dating back to at least 1865 that has been sung and recorded by many gospel and secular performers. It is considered a Christmas carol because its original lyric celebrates the Nativity: "Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born."

Like many carols, the precise history of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is a bit fuzzy. Although generally considered an anonymous work, Studwell believes the piece was written by Frederick Jerome Work (1880-1942), a black composer, teacher and scholar. Work was deeply involved in the collection, arrangement and dissemination of black spirituals, so it is possible, says Studwell, that Work only discovered and preserved the song. However, Studwell’s research has led him to believe that Work actually penned the piece, which was then arranged and disseminated by his nephew John Wesley Work.
Studwell places its first publication in the early 1900s, but the piece gained little notice until the 1920s when the Fisk University Singers began performing the song. Even then, it did not make much of a splash.“I looked through hundreds of carol collections and other song books and I could not find it in any collection prior to the 1950s,” says Studwell.
About that time the song steadily began to gain in popularity, winning over listeners with
energetic beat and its enthusiastic call to action.
“Most carols of the 20th century are not so enthusiastic. This is more like some of the older carols, like Joy to the World or Come All Ye Faithful in that regard,” says Studwell. “It shows some real enthusiasm for the Christmas holiday."

Click here to listen to James Taylor sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifEUn1AxDYo

Click here to see the various arrangements available:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=go+tell+it+on+the+mountain+&search_type=&aq=f

"O Come All Ye Faithful"

Also known in Latin as "Adeste Fidelis", this Christmas carol is credited to an English hymnist named John Francis Wade (1711-1786). Written originally in Latin, 'O Come All Ye Faithful', it was penned as a hymn by an Englishman called John Wade. In Latin, it is known as 'Adeste Fideles'. Another Englishman called John Reading composed its music in early 1700s, which was first published in 'Cantus Diversi' in 1751. Rev. Frederick Oakley translated it to English in 1841.


Click here to read more about the history of the song:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adeste_Fideles

Click here to listen to Bianca Ryan sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I8XAf4Rwa4

Click here to hear a traditional setting:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZKp4npV47Q&feature=related

Click here for the various recordings of this Carol:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=o+come+all+ye+faithful&search_type=&aq=f


"My Soul Magifies the Lord"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y459G_4cFnM

Phil Wickham - www.philwickham.com

"Cannons"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSo46FWGh8g

"Because of Your Love"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8d0Nh_CXKw

“How Great Thou Art”

The history of the hymn How Great Thou Art begins with Mr. Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940). He was a Swedish pastor, editor, and member of the Swedish parliament. Mr. Boberg was enjoying a nice walk when a thunderstorm suddenly appeared out of no where. A severe wind began to blow. After the storm was over, Mr. Boberg looked out over the clear bay. He then heard a church bell in the distance. And the words to How Great Thou Art begin to form in his heart -- O Lord, my God, When I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands hath made. . . Can you imagine what Boberg felt as he formed these words? There was such calmness after the fierce storm he could only utter those words of peace.

This poem, titled O Store Gud (O Great God) was published in 1891 in Witness of the Truth, the weekly newspaper that Boberg edited. It was later translated in German. In 1927, it was published in a Russian version of the German text.

How Great Thou Art was sung by George Beverly Shea at the London Crusade of the Billy Graham evangelistic team in 1954. He later sang this song over 100 times during a revival in New York at a Billy Graham Crusade. This caused the hymn to receive new attention in Sweden and America and be published in several songbooks.

Today millions across the world continue to sing this beautiful song. Giving God all praise, glory, and honor for who He is -- the Creator of this universe.

Click here to see the different arrangements available from Elvis Presley, Alan Jackson, The Grand Ole Opera Sandy Patti, Crystal Lewis, & David Phelps.
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+great+thou+art+&search_type=

"True Love"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sonjpHbeDQ

Behind the Praise - Sunday November 28, 2010

"Shout to the North"
Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-BRLSq_bJM&feature=related

"New Day" Soloist Tim Feldman

"Everlasting God"

Brenton Brown wrote this song after both he and his wife had being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Brown described their illness in the following excerpt from Christianity today.

Brown: It's called fibromyalgia, a form of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. What defines it are the symptoms, the most obvious ones [being] fatigue. You feel jet-lagged most of the time. There are other symptoms like nausea, muscle pain, muscle aches. There's no known cure. Basically it was just like waking up one day and finding out that I had someone else's body. Very strange. I wasn't thinking as clearly. And over the last three years we've basically had to relearn how to live life with our new bodies. It's been a challenge.
Chronic Fatigue is a little bit like having mono[nucleosis]. You feel very fatigued, very drained. And no matter how much you sleep, you're still going to feel tired. You can never shake off that tired feeling. I just kept going for six months. And then my pastor, the board of our church and the group of doctors that I was seeing all decided, "This is not working. You're not going to be able to force your way through this."
Brenton Brown, born in South Africa, is a Christian songwriter and worship leader. He left South Africa for Oxford, England in his early twenties on a Rhodes Scholarship. While studying politics, philosophy and theology he joined the Vineyard music (UK), serving as worship pastor at the Oxford Vineyard, UK, and eventually as coordinator of the Vineyard (UK) Worship Development Team. His songs, Lord Reign in me, All who are thirsty, Humble King, Hallelujah [Your love is amazing] and Holy were recorded on the popular Vineyard UK projects during this time. He has since left the UK and now lives in Malibu, California with his wife, Jude. Brenton is an artist on the worship label Survivor and in 2006 released his first solo album, Everlasting God with Survivor in the UK and rest of the world, and with Sparrow in the United States and Canada.

Check out Brenton’s ministry here:
www.myspace.com/brentonbrownmusic

Click here to listen to him share about how the song came about
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YePOcs88kqw

Click here to listen to Lincoln Brewsters' arrangement
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2nz6PG8KM&mode=related&search=

Click here to listen to Brenton Brown & Paul Baloche
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bLWwnVBuF8

"You are the Light"

"Thank you Lord"
Click here to listen to this song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B7zpwEUIE0

“I Stand Amazed in the Presence"

This hymn was written by Charles Gabriel. Growing up on an Iowa farm, Gabriel taught himself to play the family’s reed organ. He began teaching in singing schools by age 16, and became well known as a teacher and composer. He served as music director at Grace Methodist Epis¬co¬pal Church, San Francisco, California (1890-2), then moved to Chicago, Illinois. In 1912 he be¬gan work¬ing with Homer Rodeheaver’s publishing company. His edited some 43 song books, 7 men’s chorus books, 19 anthem collections, and 23 cantatas.

I stand amazed in the presence Of Jesus the Nazarene
And I wonder how He could love me, A sinner condemned, unclean.

How marvelous, how wonderful And my song shall ever be.
How marvelous, how wonderful Is my Savior's love for me.

For me it was in the garden He prayed, "Not my will, but thine"
He had no tears for His own griefs, But sweat drops of blood for mine.

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calv'ry, And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see,
'Twill be my joy thro' the ages, To sing of His love for me.

Click here for an arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjCoX4tRoT8

Click here for another arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkFOtaO8B9c&feature=related

Offertory - John Mark Garner & Caleb White "True Love"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sonjpHbeDQ

Behind the Praise - Sunday November 21, 2010

"I AM"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAX7TXvQZ0U

"Mighty To Save"

This is another song from the Hillsong music ministry in Sydney Australia. This song is by Reuben Morgan & Ben Fielding. This song has a great re-occuring text. "OUR GOD IS MIGHT TO SAVE". This is taken from the passage in Zephaniah 3:17. “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Click here to read more about Reuben Morgan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_Morgan

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y

"Bless The Lord" - Crossroads Youth Choir
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzQuwfoeTx8

“Forever”

This worship song is based upon the passage in Psalm 136 “His love endures forever”. It took four years for Chris to finally finish the song after working on the song off and on.

Click here to listen to Chris tell about how he wrote the song:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-263-Forever-Tomlin.mp3

Click here to learn more about Chris Tomlin:
www.christomlin.com

Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_dsZpcA2R8

"We Gather Together"

This hymn was originally transformed into a hymn from a folksong began on about January 1, 1597. That was the date of the Battle of Turnhout, in which Prince Maurice of Orange defeated the Spanish occupiers of a town in what is now the Netherlands. It appears likely that Dutch Protestants--who were forbidden from practicing their religion under the Catholic King Philip II of Spain--celebrated the victory by borrowing the familiar folk melody and giving it new words. Hence "Wilt heden nu treden" or, loosely translated, "We gather together"--a phrase that itself connoted a heretofore forbidden act: Dutch Protestants joining together in worship. Its first appearance in print was in a 1626 collection of Dutch patriotic songs, "Nederlandtsch Gedencklanck."

Click here to read more:
www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110007583

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFWH_RAQ3og

Click here for a celtic arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0JVqR8KnF4&feature=related

"New Doxology"

This is a new arrangement of the traditional Doxology. The added verse was written by Thomas Miller worship pastor at Gateway church in Southlake, Texas.
Click here to listen to Thomas share about how he wrote the additional verses from the third person:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhN5sdKLDcQ

A doxology (from the Greek doxa, glory + logos, word or speaking) is a short hymn of praise to God in various Christian worship services, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymnsThis doxology has widespread use in English circles, in some Protestant traditions commonly referred to simply as "The Doxology" and in others as “The Common Doxology”, is:Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

This text, which was originally the seventh and final stanza of "Glory to thee, my God, this night", a hymn for evening worship written by Thomas Ken in about 1674, is usually sung to the tune Old 100th, but also to Duke Street by John Hatton, Lasst uns erfreuen, and The Eighth Tune by Thomas Tallis, among others.

Click here for a recording of the Gateway version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_7VhWC4TAU

Click here to listen online:
www.rhapsody.com/gatewayworship

Click here to hear and see the Doxology
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHCGwJvKRBY&mode=related&search=

Click here to hear one of the most accomplished guitarist present a unique version
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBE6dfT87yo&mode=related&search=

"HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD"

This worship song was written by Chris Tomlin. Chris said he almost apologized to the Lord for writing such a simple song, but felt that the English language could only go so far in describing the greatness of our God. After writing the song he felt in his spirit that he had written a song that would be embraced by the church around the world.
Chris received his first guitar from his father, Connie, at the age of eleven after contracting a case of mono. Then, Tomlin wrote his first worship song at age fourteen. He entered college planning to study medicine, but he stated that he felt God's calling to something else and did not pursue that career.

In the mid-1990's Tomlin spent time leading worship at the Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences, as well as at various camps around the state of Texas.

Following college, at Texas A&M University Tomlin continued to play and write songs, and in 1997, Louie Giglio asked if he would be interested in working with the Passion Conferences. Tomlin agreed, and he has played a key role ever since. His first nationally released solo project, entitled The Noise We Make, was released in 2001, which saw the emergence of songs "Forever" (his most famous song other than "How Great Is Our God"), "Be Glorified", and "Kindness", all of which made the top 200 in the CCLI 2005 top 500 worship songs.

According to Christian Copyright Licensing International's list of the top 25 worship songs in the United States as of August 2007, Tomlin held 5 spots with songs he has either written or co-written with other songwriters: "How Great Is Our God" (#1), "Forever" (#5), "Holy Is the Lord" (#7), "We Fall Down" (#12),and "Indescribable" (#22).
Click here to listen to the story behind the song:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-302-HowGreatisOurGod-Tomlin.mp3

Click here to listen to Chris share about how the song came about on newsong café:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpfKli_4LQ0&mode=related&search=

Click here to worship along with Chris:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjxPG_mRHDs&feature=related

Click here to learn more about Chris’ ministry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Tomlin#Biography

Click here to visit Chris’ website:
www.christomlin.com

Click here to visit Chris’ myspace:
www.myspace.com/christomlin

Behind the Praise - November 14, 2010

"I will Follow"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnwz3xx_yGs

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God"

Click here to listen to this song by Christy Nockels:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4H-iWayY5M

COMMUNION

During the passing of the bread we'll view a video on the beauty of Laminin:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4&feature=&p=6DA49FFD2A0EC160&index=0&playnext=1

During the passing of the cup we'll sing together:

"Because of Your Love"
Click here to listen to Phil Wickham sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8d0Nh_CXKw

“O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”

Charles Wesley was suffering a bout of pleurisy in May, 1738, while he and his brother were studying under the Moravian scholar Peter Böhler in London. At the time, Wesley was plagued by extreme doubts about his faith. Taken to bed with the sickness on May 21 Wesley was attended by a group of Christians who offered him testimony and basic care, and he was deeply affected by this. He read from his Bible and found himself deeply affected by the words, and at peace with God. Shortly his strength began to return. He wrote of this experience in his journal and counted it as a renewal of his faith; when his brother John had a similar experience on the 24th, the two men met and sang a hymn Wesley had written in praise of his renewal.
One year from the experience, Wesley was taken with the urge to write another hymn, this one in commemoration of his renewal of faith. This hymn took the form of an 18-stanza poem, beginning with the opening lines 'Glory to God, and praise, and love,/Be ever, ever given and was published in 1740 and entitled 'For the anniversary day of one's conversion'. The seventh verse, which begins, 'O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing', and which now is invariably the first verse of a shorter hymn recalls the words of Peter Bohler who said, 'Had I a thousand tongues I would praise Him with them all.' The hymn was placed first in John Wesley's A Collection of Hymns for the People Called Methodists published in 1780. It appeared first in every (Wesleyan) Methodist hymnal from that time until the publication of Hymns and Psalms in 1983

Click here to hear an organ arrangement:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mHDcIGXBtw

Click here for a contemporary arrangement:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1LwDBVpg_E

Click here for an acoustic guitar arrangement:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U8AuFL1qN0&feature=related

"Unredeemed"

Click here to listen to the words:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhOSspNj84w

The cruelest word
The coldest heart
The deepest wound
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter nights
The wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are


Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

For every choice that led to shame
And all the love that never came
For every vow that someone broke

And every lie that gave up hope


We live in the shadow of the fall

But the cross says these are all


Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

You will wipe tear it will not be unredeemed

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But you never know the miracle the Father has in store
Just watch and see
It will not be
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

Behind the Praise - Sunday November 7, 2010

"Abundantly" - Worship choir with Soloist Jennifer Reynolds

"He Keeps me singing"

A Methodist preacher by the name of Luther Bridges, was born in 1884, he married Sarah Veatch and three lovely sons were born of their union. Pastor Bridges accepted an invitation to minister at a conference in Kentucky in the year 1910, so he left his family in the care of his father-in-law and made the trip to Kentucky. There, two wonderful weeks of ministry resulted. The last service closed with great joy and he was excited to be called to the telephone. He couldn't wait to tell his wife about all the blessings. But it wasn't her voice on that long distance line. He listened in silence to the news that a fire had burned down the house of his father-in-law and his wife and all three of his sons had died in the blaze. That distraught father leaned heavily on His Savior and expressed his faith in God during a tearful moment by penning these words:
There's within my heart a melody Jesus whispers sweet and low,
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still, In all of lifes ebb and flow.

Click here to listen to a quartet arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNQ4RbfF4jM

Click here for a recording of the song:
http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis/hekeepsmesinging.mid

Click here for a ragtime piano version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiJrzRg17l4

“Blessed be the name of the Lord” - ENCORE CHOIR

(an adaptation for the hymn “O For A Thousand Tongues to sing”
O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing is a Christian hymn written by Charles Wesley. Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns, many of which were subsequently reprinted, frequently with alterations, in hymnals, particularly those of the Methodist Church.
Charles Wesley was suffering a bout of pleurisy in May, 1738, while he and his brother were studying under the Moravian scholar Peter Böhler in London. At the time, Wesley was plagued by extreme doubts about his faith. Taken to bed with the sickness on May 21 Wesley was attended by a group of Christians who offered him testimony and basic care, and he was deeply affected by this. He read from his Bibe and found himself deeply affected by the words, and at peace with God. Shortly his strength began to return. He wrote of this experience in his journal and counted it as a renewal of his faith; when his brother John had a similar experience on the 24th, the two men met and sang a hymn Wesley had written in praise of his renewal.
One year from the experience, Wesley was taken with the urge to write another hymn, this one in commemoration of his renewal of faith. This hymn took the form of an 18-stanza poem, beginning with the opening lines 'Glory to God, and praise, and love,/Be ever, ever given and was published in 1740 and entitled 'For the anniversary day of one's conversion'. The seventh verse, which begins, 'O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing', and which now is invariably the first verse of a shorter hymn recalls the words of Peter Bohler who said, 'Had I a thousand tongues I would praise Him with them all.' The hymn was placed first in John Wesley's A Collection of Hymns for the People Called Methodists published in 1780. It appeared first in every (Wesleyan) Methodist hymnal from that time until the publication of Hymns and Psalms in 1983 (Watson and Trickett: Companion to Hymns and Psalms, 1988). Most recently, the popular Christian group David Crowder Band created a rock version of the hymn for their CD entitled Remedy.
Today the hymn is often condensed into 6-8 stanzas. In Great Britain, editors of various of hymnals have muddled the logical order of the first three verses (O for a thousand tongues to sing; My gracious Master and my God; Jesus, the name that charms our fears) and broken the continuity of thought between them. In some places, including the USA, the hymn is commonly sung to Lowell Mason’s 1839 arrangement of the tune Azmon, written by Carl G. Glaser in 1828. Mason's arrangement was written as a setting for this hymn. In Great Britain the tune Lydia by Thomas Phillips or Richmond by Thomas Haweis are commonly used, though in larger congregations Thomas Jarman's stirring tune 'Lyngham' is favoured.
Here is the text of the hymn, as found in the Anglican hymn book Common Praise (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2000). The suggested tunes are Selby or Richmond.

O for a thousand tongues to sing
my dear Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

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.

He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
he sets the prisoner free:
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.

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

Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your Saviour come;
and leap, ye lame, for joy!

My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim
and spread through all the earth abroad
the honours of thy name.
Common Praise (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2000).


Click here for a bluegrass arrangement of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcjM-i0CMdE

Click here for a midi version:
http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Blessed_Be_the_Name_of_the_Lord/midi/

“You are For me”

Click here to visit Kari Jobe’s website:
www.karijobe.com/

Click here to hear Kari share about how she wrote the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB4phSOaheM&feature=PlayList&p=E7841C140C8806D7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=7

Click here to listen to Kari Jobe sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdfKTTeGj2U&feature=fvw

Click here to purchase “You are for me”



"Because of Your Love"
Click here to worship along with this song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekrKOYRZC0I

"The stand"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8KIt5rLWg

"When You were on the Cross" - Carrie Blanton
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEYyrA92OXM&feature=related