Field Stone Cottage Blog

Thursday, May 21, 2009

My Top Ten Favorite Hymns

1. Be Thou My Vision
Irish Hymn, c. 8th century
Translated by Mary E. Byrne, 1905
Versified by Eleanor H. Hull, 1912
Tune: Slane, Traditional Irish melody, arranged by Donald P. Hustad, 1973

I love this one best because it expresses the deepest prayer of my heart, that He would by my
Vision, the Lord of my heart. And I love the way the words build and expand the image of God to Ruler of All!

2. O Soul, Are You Weary and Troubled?
Helen H. Lemmel, 1922
Tune: Lemmel, by Helen H. Lemmel, 1922

This hymn is my comfort and reminder when things are not going well in my world.

3. Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
William Williams, 1745
Translated by Peter Williams and William Williams, 1771
Tune: CWM Rhondda, John Hughes, 1907

My favorite words in this favorite hymn are this line: I am weak, but Thou are mighty; Hold me with Thy pow'rful hand; How could that not comfort a Pilgrim through this barren land?

4. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Robert Robinson, 1758
Tune: Nettleton, Traditional American Melody

Its the third verse with its reference to my proneness to wander that speaks so clearly to me in this one. Plus I love the tune!

5. Great is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923
Tune: Faithfulness, William M. Runyan, 1923

This hymn just makes my heart sing!

6. When We Walk With the Lord (Trust and Obey)
John H. Sammis, 1887
Tune: Trust and Obey, Daniel B. Towner, 1887

If only I could always live this way all the time....

7. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Martin Luther, 1529
Translated by Frederick H. Hedge, 1852
Tune: Ein' Feste Burg, Martin Luther, 1829

Such a strong, reassuring statement of the sure victory of believers in Christ.

8. Jesus! What a Friend For Sinners
J. Wilbur Chapman, 1910
Tune: Hyfrydol, Roland H. Prichard, c. 1830

More reassuring truth about my surety in Christ.

9. How Great Thou Art
Carl Boberg, c. 1885
Translated by Stuart K. Hine, 1949
Tune: O Store Gud, Swedish Folk Melody

The title says it all!

The link on the title is for the Swedish version. The English version is still under copyright but you can read about it here.

10. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
Reginald Heber, 1826
Tune: Nicaea, John B. Dykes, 1861

I love this one because its one of the earliest that I remember singing as a child...and its so majestic!

Here they are. This was a tough task! There are so many hymns that I truly love.

5 comments:

ellen b. said...

Those are all great ones for sure!!

Kim said...

"Be Thou My Vision" was my first one, too! And your sentiments about it being the desire of your heart echo my own feelings!

WhiteStone said...

Yep. "Be Thou My Vision". My all-time favorite.

Leland Bryant Ross said...

1. Be Thou My Vision
Amen!
2. O Soul, Are You Weary and Troubled?
Yes, but I never think of it in time, because I was raised just singing the refrain, sans stanzas.
3. Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Amen! But why do folks (not just you) capitalize CWM as if it were Rhondda's initials? It's a topographical term in Welsh, sort of like "Butte" in the American West or "Ben" in Scotland. "Cwm Rhondda".
4. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Amen!
5. Great is Thy Faithfulness
Amen!
6. When We Walk With the Lord
Amen!
7. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Martin Luther
Amen!
8. Jesus! What a Friend For Sinners
Amen!
9. How Great Thou Art
Major quibbles! (see my comments on this post at Semicolon) And there's something typographically wrong, I fear, with the fourth Romanian verse at the Cyber Hymnal. And the Swedish is much longer than four stanzas, they just used the ones closest to Hines.
10. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
Amen!
The list I submitted is at Mia Himnareto.

Thanks, Dorothy!

Dorothy said...

Wow! Leland, I can't believe you gave eight of my picks "Amen!" And number two got a "yes." I consider that quite a compliment, even though I got "major quibbles" on #9. But I still like "How Great Thou Art."