Classic Hymns from The Shadowlands (The Christian Nomad)

Amazing Grace is a Christian hymn published in 1779, with words written by the English poet and Anglican clergyman John Newton (1725–1807). Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his life's path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by others' reactions to what they took as his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed (conscripted) into service in the Royal Navy, and after leaving the service, he became involved in the Atlantic slave trade. In 1748, a violent storm battered his vessel off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland, so severely that he called out to God for mercy, a moment that marked his spiritual conversion. He continued his slave trading career until 1754 or 1755, when he ended his seafaring altogether and began studying Christian theology.

source: wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace 

Lyrics:
1
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
  That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
  Was blind, but now I see.

2
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
  And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
  The hour I first believed!

3
The Lord hath promised good to me,
  His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
  As long as life endures.

4
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
  Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
  Than when we first begun.

Blessed Assurance is a well-known Christian hymn. The lyrics were written in 1873 by blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby to the music written in 1873 by Phoebe Knapp.

Crosby was visiting her friend Phoebe Knapp as the Knapp home was having a large pipe organ installed. The organ was incomplete, so Mrs. Knapp, using the piano, played a new melody she had just composed. When Knapp asked Crosby, "What do you think the tune says?", Crosby replied, "Blessed assurance; Jesus is mine."
The hymn appeared in the July 1873 issue of Palmer's Guide to Holiness and Revival Miscellany, a magazine printed by Dr. and Mrs. W. C. Palmer of 14 Bible House, New York City. 
The popular song reflects Crosby's walk of faith, as expressed by the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain"

Lyrics:
Stanza 1
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God, 
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song, 
praising my Savior all the day long; 
this is my story, this is my song, 
praising my Savior all the day long. 

Stanza 2
Perfect submission, perfect delight! 
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; 
Angels descending bring from above 
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)

Stanza 3
Perfect submission, all is at rest! 
I in my Savior am happy and blessed, 
Watching and waiting, looking above, 
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. 
(Refrain)

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is a Christian hymn written by the 18th century pastor and hymnodist Robert Robinson. Robert Robinson penned the words at age 22 in the year 1757. In the United States, the hymn is usually set to an American folk tune known as "Nettleton", composed by printer John Wyeth, or possibly by Asahel Nettleton. In the United Kingdom, the hymn is also often set to the tune "Normandy" by C Bost. The "Nettleton" tune is used extensively in partial or full quotation by the American composer Charles Ives, in such works as the First String Quartet and the piano quintet and song "The Innate".

source: wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_Thou_Fount_of_Every_Blessing

Lyrics:

1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it
mount of God's redeeming love.

2 Here I find my greatest treasure;
hither by thy help I've come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
bought me with his precious blood.

3 Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above. 

Thomas O. Chisholm wrote the poem in 1923 about God's faithfulness over his lifetime. Chisholm sent the song to William Runyan in Kansas, who was affiliated with both the Moody Bible Institute and Hope Publishing Company. Runyan set the poem to music, and it was published that same year by Hope Publishing Company and became popular among church groups.^[1] The Biblical lyrics reference Lamentations 3:22-23.^[2] The song was exposed to wide audiences after becoming popular with Dr. William Henry Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute and Billy Graham, who used the song frequently on his international crusades.^[3] Since the middle 20th century, this hymn has been the university hymn of Cairn University which was formerly Philadelphia Biblical University and prior to that Philadelphia College of Bible, founded in 1913.

The phrase "great is thy faithfulness" comes from the Old Testament Book of Lamentations 3:23. These exact words occur in both the King James Bible and the Revised Standard Version.

source: wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Is_Thy_Faithfulness 

Written by  ?Johnson Oatman, Jr. in 1898

Music Composer?: ?Chas. H. Gabriel? (1902)
Meter?: ?8.8.8.8

1. I’m pressing on the upward way,
   New heights I’m gaining every day;
   Still praying as I’m onward bound,
   “Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
   • Refrain:
     Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
     By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
     A higher plane than I have found;
     Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
2. My heart has no desire to stay
   Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
   Though some may dwell where those abound,
   My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
3. I want to live above the world,
   Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
   For faith has caught the joyful sound,
   The song of saints on higher ground.
4. I want to scale the utmost height
   And catch a gleam of glory bright;
   But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
   “Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

In 1872, the hymn by which Hawks is most widely known, "I Need Thee Every Hour", was written. It is said to have been translated into more foreign languages than any other modern hymn at the time of her death.^[2] Hawks stated:— "For myself, the hymn was prophetic rather than expressive of my own experiences, for it was wafted out to the world on the wings of love and joy, instead of under the stress of personal sorrow."

source: wikipedia

Piano by Karin Schaffer, Bass and Midi-Organ Programmed by The Nomad

Lyrics:

1 I need thee every hour,

most gracious Lord;

no tender voice like thine

can peace afford.

Refrain:

I need thee, O I need thee;

every hour I need thee!

O bless me now, my Savior,

I come to thee.

2 I need thee every hour,

stay thou near by;

temptations lose their power

when thou art nigh. [Refrain]

3 I need thee every hour, 

in joy or pain;

come quickly, and abide,

or life is vain. [Refrain]

4 I need thee every hour;

teach me thy will,

and thy rich promises

in me fulfill. [Refrain]

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise is a Christian hymn with words by Walter Chalmers Smith, usually sung to the tune, "St. Denio", originally a Welsh ballad tune, which became a hymn (under the name "Palestrina") in Caniadau y Cyssegr (1839) edited by John Roberts of Henllan (1807-1876).[1] Of this hymn, musicologist Erik Routley has written:

"[Immortal, Invisible] should give the reader a moment's pause. Most readers will think they know this hymn, the work of another Free Kirk minister. But it never now appears as its author wrote it, and a closer look at it in its fuller form shows that it was by no means designed to be one of those general hymns of praise that the parson slams into the praise-list when he is in too much of a hurry to think of anything else but a hymn about the reading of Scripture. Just occasionally editorial tinkering changes the whole personality of a hymn; it has certainly done so here."

source: wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal,_Invisible,_God_Only_Wise

Lyrics:
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest — to both great and small;
In all life thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but nought changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render: O help us to see
’Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

ALTERNATIVE 3RD AND 4TH STANZAS
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.

All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, Almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.

"In the Garden" (sometimes rendered by its first line "I Come to the Garden Alone" is a gospel song written by American songwriter C. Austin Miles (1868–1946), a former pharmacist who served as editor and manager at Hall-Mack publishers for 37 years. According to Miles' great-granddaughter, the song was written "in a cold, dreary and leaky basement in Pitman, New Jersey that didn't even have a window in it let alone a view of a garden." The song was first published in 1912 and popularized during the Billy Sunday evangelistic campaigns of the early twentieth century by two members of his staff, Homer Rodeheaver and Virginia Asher.

source: wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Garden_(1912_song)

I play it a little different ;)

Lyrics:
1 I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.

2 He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing. 

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

3 I'd stay in the garden with Him
Tho' the night around me be falling;
But He bids me go; thro' the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

It Is Well With My Soul is a hymn penned by hymnist Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss. First published in Gospel Songs No. 2 by Ira Sankey and Bliss (1876), it is possibly the most influential and enduring in the Bliss repertoire and is often taken as a choral model, appearing in hymnals of a wide variety of Christian fellowships.

Source Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul

Lyrics:

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul!

I’ve Got Peace Like a River is an African-American spiritual. Spirituals began on the fields and the slaves would sing to pass the time of day. It was also a great way to pass messages along and share the gospel.

This song uses water “as a simile” to describe peace, joy and love.

source: Diana Leagh Matthews http://dianaleaghmatthews.com/ive-got-peace-like-river/

Lyrics:

1 I've got peace like a river, 
I've got peace like a river,
I've got peace like a river in my soul.
I've got peace like a river, 
I've got peace like a river,
I've got peace like a river in my soul.

2 I've got love like a river,
I've got love like a river,
I've got love like a river in my soul.
I've got love like a river,
I've got love like a river,
I've got love like a river in my soul

3 I've got joy like a river,
I've got joy like a river,
I've got joy like a river in my soul.
I've got joy like a river,
I've got joy like a river,
I've got joy like a river in my soul.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee is a traditional gospel song that has been performed and recorded by many artists. Performed as either an instrumental or vocal, "A Closer Walk" is perhaps the most frequently played number in the hymn and dirge section of traditional New Orleans jazz funerals. The title and lyrics of the song allude to the Biblical passage from 2 Corinthians 5:7 which states, "We walk by faith, not by sight" and James 4:8, "Come near to God and he will come near to you."

The precise author of "A Closer Walk" was unknown until recently, although Peterson claimed that was not the case. Circumstantial evidence strongly suggested it dated back to southern African-American churches of the nineteenth century, possibly even prior to the Civil War, as some personal African American histories recall "slaves singing as they worked in the fields a song about walking by the Lord's side.". Horace Boyer cites a story that repudiates this claim, stating,

“On a train trip from Kansas City to Chicago, Morris exited the train on one of its stops to get some fresh air and heard one of the station porters singing a song. He paid little attention at first, but after he reboarded the train the song remained with him and became so prominent in his mind that at the next stop, he left the train, took another train back to the earlier station, and asked the porter to sing the song again. Morris wrote down the words and music and published the song “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” that year, 1940, adding a few lyrics of his own to provide more breadth. Within two years the song became a standard in gospel music, eventually becoming a standard in Jazz, and then moving into the realm of American folk music, known and sung by many (Boyer, 75).”

source: wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_a_Closer_Walk_with_Thee

Lyrics:
1 I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

2 Thro' this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
[Refrain]

3 When my feeble life is o'er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
[Refrain]

Standing on the promises of Christ my King
Author: Russell Kelso Carter (1886)
Tune: [Standing on the promises of Christ my King]
Published in 378 hymnals

source: hymnary https://hymnary.org/text/standing_on_the_promises_of_christ_my_ki

Lyrics:
1 Standing on the promises of Christ my king,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing, 
standing on the promises of God my Savior;
standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God. 
[Refrain]

3 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
standing on the promises of God. 
[Refrain]

4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God. 
[Refrain]

The Old Rugged Cross is a popular hymn written in 1912 by evangelist and song-leader George Bennard.

The Old Rugged Cross has been a country gospel favorite ever since it became the title song of Ernest Tubb's 1952 gospel album; it has been performed by some of the twentieth century's most important recording artists....

source: wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Rugged_Cross

Lyrics:

On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross
The emblem of suff'ring and shame
And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

Oh, that old rugged Cross so despised by the world
Has a wondrous attraction for me
For the dear Lamb of God, left His Glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

In the old rugged Cross, stain'd with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I see
For the dear Lamb of God, left His Glory above
To pardon and sanctify me

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true
Its shame and reproach gladly bear
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away
Where His glory forever I'll share

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown