Category: The Midweek Hymn

THE first appearance of this short hymn is in a French text dating from around 1490: Jesus soit en ma teste et mon entendement. Jesus soit en mes yeulx et … Continue readingGod Be in My Head

THIS often comes near the top of British hymn popularity charts, but it has its roots in the long-distant Irish past. The original words, entitled Rop tú mo baile, were written … Continue readingBe Thou My Vision

AFTER the August break, I thought it would be good for the Midweek Hymn to come back with a bang, and this is a definite blockbuster.  Also known as Mine Eyes Have Seen … Continue readingThe Battle Hymn of the Republic

THE last verse of this hymn is well known in its own right as the Doxology (an expression of praise to God): Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise him, … Continue readingAwake, My Soul, and with the Sun

DURING this series I have come across some astonishingly prolific hymnwriters, such as Fanny Crosby, who wrote so many that her publishers assigned her 200 pseudonyms, and Charles Wesley, with around … Continue readingJudge Eternal, Throned In Splendour

MANY hymns are based on the beautiful poetry of the Psalms, and this one is full of wonderful images: ‘pavilioned in splendour’, ‘whose robe is the light, whose canopy space’ … Continue readingO Worship the King

WHAT is the difference between a hymn and a gospel song? There is no solid definition that I can find, and I am forced to the conclusion that ‘gospel song’ … Continue readingPass Me Not, O Gentle Savior

I HAVE written a few times about the shameful closure of churches at the very moment when they were most needed, so I was pleased to see this article in … Continue readingThrough the Night of Doubt and Sorrow

WITH slavery being a major topic at the moment, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit John Newton, a slave ship captain who repented and became an Anglican clergyman. … Continue readingHow Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds

I HAVE mentioned before that the editors of hymn books often have the belief that they can do better than the original writer. This belief is almost always mistaken, and this week’s … Continue readingHills of the North, Rejoice