Hymn Appreciation: We Gather Together

Adrianus (Adriaen) Valerius (1575-1625) was a Dutch poet and composer. He is known mostly for his poems dealing with peasant life and the Dutch War of Independence.  At the time We Gather Together was written, the Dutch were at war against the Catholic King Philip II of Spain and Dutch Protestants were forbidden to gather for worship - which resulted in "Wilt heden nu treden" (We Gather Together). The hymn first appeared in a 1626 collection of Dutch patriotic songs, Nederlandtsch Gedencklanck.

As indicated by the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, We Gather Together's first appeared in an American hymnal was in 1903. It's popularity continued among the Dutch. In 1937 when the Dutch Reformed Church in North America decided to put away traditions that they had brought with them to the New World in the 1600's of singing only psalms; they added hymns to the church service, We Gather Together was chosen as the first hymn in their first hymnal.

The modern English text was written by Theodore Baker in 1894.

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Hymn Appreciation: Come Ye Thankful People Come

Come Ye Thankful People Come was written by Henry Alford. He was born in Somerset County, London, in 1810. He was raised in a family that gave five consecutive generations of clergymen to the Anglican church. At a young age, Alford began writing. He had written several Latin odes (poems), a history of the Jews and a series of homiletic outlines. He served as pastor at the Quebec Chapel in Marylebone, London until 1857, when he was promoted to become the Dean of Canterbury, where he served until his death in 1871. Alford wrote many poems and hymns and he published several books.

Each of the stanzas of Come Ye Thankful People Come is centered on a theme of harvest. First is the invitation to give thanks in God's church. Verse two and three are Alford's commentary on the parable of the wheat and the tares and verse four is a prayer for the Lord's return.

Come Ye Thankful People Come

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God's own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown
Unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
And shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day
All offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,
Bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified,
In Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.

Hymn Appreciation: Does Jesus Care?

Frank Graeff was a Methodist preacher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1900’s. He had a wonderful disposition and to everyone he met, he brought a ray of sunshine. Because of this he became known as the “Sunshine Minister.” Little did people know that Graeff went through many difficult trials. The lyrics to Does Jesus Care? was penned after studying the Bible and reading the words he careth for you in I Peter 5:7 during one of those trials.

There really isn’t much written about the difficult situations Graeff suffered in his life, only that he suffered them. While many are unsure of the situation at this time, it has been told that Graeff's daughter had caught her dress on fire and was burned to death. Being overcome with grief, Graeff began questioning if Jesus really did care about this tragedy and his family. It was then when he began writing the lyrics to the song.

Does Jesus Care

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,

Chorus

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Hymn Appreciation: It Is Well With My Soul

Horatio G. Spafford was an attorney in Chicago during 1870's and he was a devout Christian. Many of his friends were men like D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey. Mr. Spafford and his wife Anna learned what it meant to completely trust God in every situation. Through one of these heartbreaking situations came the beautiful words It is Well with My Soul.

It is Well with My Soul

The first situation for the Spaffords to rely on God was when their precious son died. Then in 1871 most of their personal property was destroyed in the great Chicago fire. But their greatest testing came in 1874. Mrs. Spafford and their four daughters boarded a ship on their way to England. But just off the coast of Ireland the ship collided with another ship and sank with 226 people losing their lives. When Horatio finally received a cable sent by his wife it read "saved alone", their four precious daughters had drowned.

While on board the ship traveling to be with his wife, Mr. Spafford was called by the captain where he was told they were in the area where the ship had sunk. It is here where the words to the hymn It Is Well with My Soul were written.

Horatio and Anna believed God to give them the strength they needed and that All things work together for good to them that love the Lord. Romans 8:28

It Is Well with My Soul

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."

Though Satan should buffet, tho' 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,I
s nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O 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.

Chorus:

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Hymn Appreciation: There Is A Fountain

"There is a Fountain" was written by William Cowper in 1772. He was a poet and hymnist who suffered from emotional problems all of his life. His father was a rector and a chaplain for King George II, his mother Ann died in childbirth with his younger brother when William was six years old; her death deeply affected William’s life. He lived a life with many emotional problems. William grew to love reading and his love for Latin was put to use in writing and translating, both lifelong skills.

There is a Fountain

William was pressed to study law while growing up, but he never really applied himself for the public life. Several times, William was institutionalized because of depression and insanity. It wasn’t until after spending time healing, under the watchful eye of John Newton (Amazing Grace), when William read Zechariah 13:1 and made his peace with the Lord and penned "There is a Fountain" shortly thereafter.

There Is A Fountain

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains:
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away:
Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away,
And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its pow'r,
Till all the ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more:
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed Church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die:
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing Thy pow'r to save,
When this poor lisping, stamm'ring tongue lies silent in the grave:
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stamm'ring tongue lies silent in the grave.

Hymn Appreciation: Jesus Loves Me

The words to the sweet children's song that most of us grew up singing, Jesus Loves Me were written as a poem by Anna Warner in 1860. Anna wrote the poem for the book Say and Seal written by her older sister Susan. It was not until William Bradbury read the book and was moved by the poem that he wrote the music and chorus.

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

Anna Bartlett Warner (1827-1915) was the second daughter of Henry Whiting and Anna Bartlett Warner. Anna was raised by her aunt after the passing of her mother. Anna spent most of her childhood in New York City. The family would often visit an uncle serving as Chaplain at West Point and Mr. Warner became interested in purchasing Constitution Island across the river. During the 1837 depression Mr. Warner suffered financial losses, but he was able to hang on to Constitution Island and move his family to live on the island. Anna and Susan helped to bring in money by writing books.

While living on the island, Anna and Susan were able to lead Bible lessons with the cadets at West Point. The cadets were eager to become one of “Miss Warner’s boys” because the passes to Constitution Island were a privilege. Even after Susan passed away, Anna continued the weekly lessons. She corresponded with each of her boys and continued lessons until her death in 1915. Anna and Susan Warner are the only civilians buried at West Point.

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus loves me this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong—
They are weak, but He is strong.

Jesus loves me He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me loves me still,
Though I’m very weak and ill;
From His shining throne on high
Comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me—He will stay
Close beside me all the way,
Then His little child will take
Up to Heaven for His dear sake.

Chorus
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.