Sunday Morning Hymns

Frances Ridley Havergal struggled with frail health, living only 43 years, but she was a woman of powerful intellect as well as a singer and pianist of note. She learned several modern languages as well as Hebrew and Greek. She attempted to live her life fully consecrated to Christ and to those in need. She composed this hymn of total consecration, with each line beginning with “Take my,” seeming to cover every aspect of surrender. The text is included, so you can join the prayer and sing along.

Will L. Thompson composed Softly and Tenderly in 1880, and it is probably the most widely known of his compositions. Thompson was a member of the Churches of Christ, which may well contribute to the beautiful vocal harmony that accompanies the hymn. The text for the hymn is included, so please add your voice and sing along.

Ernest William Blandly was a British minister who became a Salvation Army officer after immigrating to the United States with his wife, Eliza, in 1884. Blandly wrote Where He Leads Me I Will Follow after choosing between a comfortable post at an established church and an alternate assignment to the New York City waterfront and slum called Hell's Kitchen. He chose the latter. Where He Leads Me became popular as an invitation hymn during 20th century revivals. The text is included, so please add your voice and sing along.

Samuel John Stone composed several volumes of poetic works as a clergyman of the Church of England. Stone published The Church’s One Foundation as a collection of twelve hymns on the Apostle’s Creed. The hymn is included with the ninth article, “The holy catholic church; the communion of saints.” The text is included here, so add your voice to the cloud of witnesses and sing along.

The text of this Christian folk hymn first appeared in a camp meeting songbook published at Richmond, Virginia, in 1811, during the Second Great Awakening. Hymnals in the early 1800s did not contain music notation, so the hymns were sung to known tunes. This is likely how the text was paired with an English folk melody. The text is included so that you can sing along with the millions who join the theme.

Originally titled “The Name of Jesus,” Oh How I Love Jesus is one of Frederick Whitfield’s hymns still in common use. Whitfield was ordained in the Church of England, but the hymn became popular in 19th century American revivals. As a result, Whitfield’s text was paired with an American tune and the refrain, which was not part of the original text, was added. The original text and refrain are included so please add your voice and sing along.

Edward Perronet’s poem affirming the reign of Christ was originally published under the title “On the Resurrection, the Lord Is King” with the tune MILES LANE. Most often in American churches, the text is sung to the vigorous tune CORONATION, as it is here. John Rippon revised parts of Perronet’s text and replaced some stanzas. As presented here, Perronet wrote verses 1-3, and Rippon wrote verse 4. The hymn as we have it is somewhat ecumenical, with verses written by a Wesleyan dissenter in the Church of England (Perronet) and a Baptist minister (Rippon).

Stepping in the Light is among the many hymns written by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt. Hewitt was a Philadephia school teacher whose career was interrupted by a spinal malady, which caused her great pain. During her convalescence, she studied literature and began writing poems for the primary department of her church. As her condition improved, she continued to work with children, teaching and sharing the gospel through her poems. Her text is included here so you can add your voice and sing along.

William Longstaff found inspiration for this hymn in a message from a missionary that was based on 1 Peter 1:16, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” He wrote the poem in 1882, but it was not set to music until a few years later. It’s possible that Longstaff never heard it sung. Here, though, the text is included so you can add your voice and sing along.

When Charles Wesley originally wrote this hymn, “Glory to God, and praise, and love,” was the opening verse. The familiar text that opens the hymn as we sing it today, was the seventh verse in Wesley’s poem. Written in commemoration of Wesley’s renewal of faith, “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” has appeared with rare exception in every Wesleyan/Methodist hymnal. Five verses are included here so you can add your voice and sing along.