inning Words 7/5/12
“Whenever Don Knotts and I were waiting for lighting cues, we would sing hymns in harmony.”  (Andy Griffith)  …and now Andy and Barney are singing together again.  Two weeks ago I was in a group that sang hymns with Garrison Keillor (Minnesota’s Andy).  One of the favorites was “Children of the Heavenly Father.”  My library has an entire shelf of hymn books .  Do you have a favorite hymn?    ;-)  Jack

CHILDREN OF THE HEAV'NLY FATHER
(Lina Sandell)
Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:
Your Protector never slumbers.
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

FROM EEC IN MICHIGAN:  That's neat. I didn't know he was a singer too.////FROM JACK:  He starred in one of my favorite movies, "No Time For Sergeants."

FROM HAPPY TRAILS IN NOVA SCOTIA:  Children of the Heavenly Father--it's in at least one of the Baptist hymn books around here too! I've indicated a desire to have it played at my funeral, as it was played at First Lutheran Church (then Augustana) at other significant events during my lifetime.   It was played at Elke's funeral too.////FROM JACK:  It is a folk song out of the Swedish tradition.  The words are particularly meaningful.  Another Swedish song with meaningful lyrics is, Day By Day, also by Lina Sandell.

Day by day, your mercies, Lord, attend me, bringing comfort to my anxious soul.
Day by day, the blessings, Lord, you send me draw me nearer to my heav’nly goal.
Love divine, beyond all mortal measure, brings to naught the burdens of my quest;
Savior, lead me to the home I treasure, where at last I’ll find eternal rest.

Day by day, I know you will provide me strength to serve and wisdom to obey;
I will seek your loving will to guide me o’er the paths I struggle day by day.
I will fear no evil of the morrow, I will trust in your enduring grace.
Savior, help me bear life’s pain and sorrow till in glory I behold your face.

Oh, what joy to know that you are near me when my burdens grow too great to bear;
oh, what joy to know that you will hear me when I come, O Lord, to you in prayer.
Day by day, no matter what betide me, you will hold me ever in your hand.
Savior, with your presence here to guide me, I will reach at last the promised land.

FROM CWR IN B'MORE:  I Come To The Garden Alone////FROM JACK:  I gained a new appreciation for that song when I "discovered" that the lyrics represent the words of Mary when she came to the burial place of Jesus on Easter morning.////CWR RESPONSE:  I didn't know that.

FROM EMT SINGS IN MICHIGAN:  On Saturday night we are going to see Garrison Keillor at Interlochen.  He is absolutely one of my favorites and I have many of his books and tapes.  How were you so fortunate as to sing hymns with him?   Also, one of favorite hymns is "It is well with my soul".  It was my Mother's favorite and was sung by my daughter-in-law at her funeral.////FROM JACK:  After the hymn sing Garrison helped my sister figure out how to use her IPhone to take a picture of her granddaughter standing with him.  The hymn, It Is Well With My Soul, was written by Horatio Spafford after several traumatic events in his life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871 at the age of four, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone . . .". Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died. 


FROM RJP IN NAPLES, FLORIDA:  Two favorites are Amazing Grace and the battle Hymn of the Republic. Very different but both very strong in conviction.////FROM JACK:  Each of those songs has an interesting background story.  They're worth a Google.


FROM RI IN BOSTON:  To tell the truth, I've never been very enthusiastic about hymn-singing.  Too often the sung cadence is dreary and the sing-song delivery loses.  There is, however, a hymn that I always like to hear and sing along with, and that is Beautiful Savior (which I believe is actually titled Schönster Herr Jesu) ////FROM JACK:  Among the differences with Christian denominations relates to the singing of hymns.  The way German Lutherans sing is quite different from the way that Methodists, Baptists (and some other Lutherans) belt them out.  BTW, Beautiful Savior is sometimes known as The Crusaders' Hymn, because the German crusaders supposedly sung it on their way to the Holy Land..

FROM ILLINOIS LIZ:  It's an Episcopal children's hymn, "I Sing A Song of the Saints of God."////FROM JACK:  I remember being introduced to that one.  I liked it, because it says that we all can be saints.  "For the saints of God are just folk like me.  And I mean to be one, too."


FROM CL IN MICHIGAN:  My favorite hymn was removed from our hymnal in 1968 when the green book was published.  It is in the old red SBH  Hymn #539////FROM JACK:  John Greenleaf Whittier is not too shabby as the composer of "O Brother Man."   However, it does seem to fit with his abolitionist activity, as does the more familiar "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind."

O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother;
Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there;
To worship rightly is to love each other,
Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.

For he whom Jesus loved has truly spoken:
The holier worship which He deigns to bless
Restores the lost, and binds the spirit broken,
And feeds the widow and the fatherless.

Follow with reverent steps the great example
Of Him Whose holy work was doing good;
So shall the wide earth seem our Father’s temple,
Each loving life a psalm of gratitude.

Then shall all shackles fall; the stormy clangor
Of wild war music o’er the earth shall cease;
Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger,
And in its ashes plant the tree of peace.


FROM PEPPERMINT MARY:  i was with garrison at ravinia a couple of weeks ago.  genie, ruthie and i took pat for her 70th birthday.  the show started with "america".  of course garrison had his own twist on words, but the sing-a-long was great.  i maintain that i learned much of life from the andy griffith show, leave it to beaver, and the wizard of oz.  they are one of my life"s trinities.////FROM JACK:  In our home, David and I watched the trinity of Moe, Larry and Curly.  Kukla, Fran and Ollie was another threesome that we enjoyed.  Does "I Led Three Lives" count?////MORE PEPPERMINT:  FROM PEPPERMINT MARY:  I forgot to name a hymn.  That's hard I really hold so many dear to my heart.  " All Things Bright and Beautiful" is one I belted out as a child and still do.  I also love, "Away in a Manger".  The red hymnal is still my go to book.////JACK:  Which color of red?


FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I love SHINE, JESUS, SHINE.  A fairly recent hymn as hymn times, go. I want it sung my memorial service. Lots of pep, and good words.  Children of the Heavenly Father will always be special, as we sang that every year in Augie choir...and in the Swedish language. It was sung at both Hal and Jan's Memorial services, as they were Lutheran clergy. Hal had a Swedish heritage as well; His grandparents came from Sweden, and lived next door to them, when he grew up in Buffalo.////FROM JACK:  I think that "Shine" was written in the late 1980s.  I don't want to write what an editor of The Catholic Herald said about it.  But, I like it, too.  BTW, here's the first stanza of that Swedish hymn.
Tryggare kan ingen vara,
Än Guds lilla barnaskara,
Stjärnan ej på himlafästet,
Fågeln ej i kända nästet.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  There is nothing quite so beautiful as the old hymns sung in harmony.  Gary and I harmonize a lot when we are driving.  My favorites (can't just pick one...) "Amazing Grace", "How Great Thou Art" and "Peace Like A River".   There is nothing quite like singing God's Praises.////FROM JACK:  A friend of mine once made a tape for me which he labeled, "Christmas Songs For Singing In The Car."  He later updated it to a CD.  I have a couple of George Beverly Shea tapes of hymns which I keep in the car.  Here are the lyrics to one that I really like.  (Thank You Lord by Kurt Kaiser)

Early in the morning
While the world is still,
Before the daylight streaks the sky,
I would know his will.
I commune with him, my Savior,
And listen carefully
And seek the strength I need from him
While praying quietly.

Thank you, Lord, for hearing me.
Thank you, Lord, for knowing who I am.
Thank you, Lord, for seeing me.
It's so easy to get lost these days
In the shuffle and the noise.

Why not try to do this
When you wake up in the night
With problems racing through your mind
And sleep becomes a fight?
Try this simple method,
It soon will gain control
And rest will surely come again
And calm down all your soul.

Thank you, Lord, for hearing me.
Thank you, Lord, for knowing who I am.
Thank you, Lord, for seeing me.
It's so easy to get lost these days
In the shuffle and the noise

FROM JT IN MICHIGAN:  "How Great Thou Art".   Recessional for Ledge and Mo////FROM JACK:  Most people carefully choose the hymns to be sung at the funeral of loved ones.  How Great Thou Art is also out of the Swedish tradition..

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  I think mine is Amazing Grace.////FROM JACK:  It's always listed up there as one of the most popular hymns. 

FROM BF IN MICHIGAN:  Great is thy Faithfulness!!////FROM JACK:  That's one of my favorites, too.  It was written in 1923 and was based on Lamentations 3:22.

FROM DS IN MICHIGAN:  LOTs of favorites – What a Friend We Have in Jesus, How Great Thou Art, Silent Night, Amazing Grace, Joy to the World, What Child is This, Halleluiah Chorus, Here I Am Lord, Jesus Loves Me – How much time do you have? ;o)////FROM JACK:  And each one of them has an interesting background story.  They're a lot like life.

FROM LG IN MICHIGAN:  Amazing Grace////FROM JACK:  From today's responses, you're in good company.  BTW, some "modern versions have changed "wretch" to "soul."  Some words need to stay the same, or the true meaning is lost. 

FROM PRFM IN WISCONSIN:  Wish it was just one . . . but many, but included in the many is “Children of the Heavenly Father.” ////FROM JACK:  I, too, would have trouble picking out just one.  My favorites are the tune, the words, and the story behind the hymn.