Hymns

“Comparing Watts’ hymn with the Psalm on which it is based raises several important clues as to which advent Watts had in view. The Psalm itself does not necessarily give indication as to which advent it presents.

“What you’ll hear in this episode: What it means to read the great hymns as devotional poems. Why should Christians read hymns as poems in addition to singing them. How Dr. Ryken envisions readers using this anthology of hymnic poems.” - Servants of Grace

“Then again, I’m cool with singing ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’ instead of ‘Hark How All the Welkin Rings’ this Christmas Eve, so…” - Aigner

“Now Thank We All Our God… rose to popularity at a strange time in European history, when it seemed there was little for which to be grateful. As the Thirty Years’ War raged through the interior of the continent, plague spread rapidly through communities in ways that now feel eerily familiar.” - TGC

“Our hymns typically have stanzas. The hymn in Philippians 2 does as well. The stanzas are easy to spot, because the phrasing is parallel, and the content progresses from ‘down’ to ‘up’ ” - Olinger

“Robinson is not suggesting in his hymn that we all go out and build monuments to God. Rather, as he observes in the next stanza, our hearts are prone to wander and we need touchstones in our lives to remind us what God has done for us individually and, by extension, all God’s people ‘thus far.’” - TIFWE

“All the New Testament passages most commonly identified as taken from hymns in the early church are about Christ. No surprise there. They celebrate his uniqueness, his glory, his powerful work in accomplishing our salvation. I’d like to begin with the classic—and controversial—passage from Colossians 1” - Dan Olinger

“The church has forgotten the old hymn ‘Come, We That Love the Lord.’ I’ve never heard this song in any worship service and I’ll bet you haven’t either. Try to hum the opening line.” - CToday

“Another bestselling author can rise in the time it takes to froth a Latte. And they’re gone before you finish your cup. Rich, thoughtful, timeless truths are so hard to come by. How do we cut through the fog? Give me something ancient. Something that has stood the test of time. I want some of that.” - Church Leaders