Worship

For All the Saints (The United Methodist Hymnal, #711)   For all the saints, who from their labours rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia, Alleluia!   Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might; thou Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight; thou […]

HAIFA – APRIL 22: Jewish Pesach blowing in “Shofar” during a memorial on April 22 2012 in Elijah’s Cave, Haifa, Israel. An orthodox religious Jew wearing a prayer shawl draped blow the shofar (horn). Writing this article, I was reminiscing about the grand celebration of our nation’s 50th National Day. I give thanks to God […]

Take Time to Be Holy (The United Methodist Hymnal, #395)   Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord; abide in him always, and feed on his word. Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak, forgetting in nothing his blessing to seek.   Take time to be holy, the world […]

Young girl in a summer frock standing on rocks overlooking the ocean while enjoying the sunshine on a summer vacation copyspace No one can be absolutely certain of what tomorrow will bring. We presume that tomorrow, we will still be alive, and our expectations and plans will come to pass without difficulty. When we make […]

The doctrine of the Trinity, deeply entrenched in Church tradition and staunchly embraced by the likes of Gregory of Nyssa, St. Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, and even John Wesley, was a much-debated topic between Trinitarian and Unitarians through the centuries. Hymn-writers through the ages had played their parts in educating worshipers about the Trinitarian doctrine by […]

Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire (UMH 651) Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, and lighten with celestial fire; thou the anointing Spirit art, who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart. Thy blessed unction from above is comfort, life, and fire of love; enable with perpetual light the dullness of our blinded sight. Anoint and cheer […]

Camina, Pueblo De Dios (Walk On, O People of God)   Refrain: Walk on, O People of God; walk on, O people of God! A new law, God’s new alliance, all creation is reborn. Walk on, O people of God; walk on, O people of God!   Look on Calvary’s summit; on the rock there […]

The author of the above 18th century hymn, James Montgomery, was born in Scotland to Irish parents. His father, John Montgomery, was a Moravian pastor. From a young age, James participated in the Holy Week services of his church where he heard the scripture readings interspersed with hymns and anthems. These experiences had immense impact on […]

  Who was this man, Simeon? What is his song about and why should we sing it? Simeon was a righteous and devout servant of the Lord who lived at the time when Jesus was born. He was eagerly waiting for the coming of the Messiah to rescue Israel. It was revealed to him by […]

Overcast sky before storm. Dark ominous clouds. Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies Christ, whose glory fills the skies, Christ, the true, the only light Sun of Righteousness, arise, Triumph o’er the shades of night; Day-spring from on high, be near; Day-star, in my heart appear. Dark and cheerless is the morn Unaccompanied by Thee; […]

  “Hark, how all the welkin (heaven) rings!” That was the original text that Charles Wesley wrote. Under the title ‘Hymn for Christmas Day’, it was published in 1739 in the book Hymns and Sacred Poems. It had 10 four-line stanzas. However, George Whitefield, a contemporary of Charles Wesley, selected six stanzas, altered the first […]

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (UMH 211) O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. R: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high, and order all things far and nigh; to us the […]