Thomas Chisholm

In 1925, Thomas Chisholm wrote “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” as a testament to God’s faithfulness through his ordinary life and sometimes described himself as “just an old shoe.” Chisholm was born in a Kentucky log cabin in 1866. He began his career as a school teacher at the age of sixteen, he became a pastor at thirty-six, but had to retire due to poor health. Chisholm spent the majority of the rest of his life as a life insurance agent in New Jersey. During his life he wrote over 1200 poems, most of which no one will ever hear. 

Chisholm gave this testimony toward the end of his life, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.”

© Helpful Creative

Sources: Gaither.com + Mangrove Safari-Sunset

Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley wrote over six thousand hymns, but this may have been his best. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” first appeared in 1739 within the Wesley collection of Hymns and Sacred Poems. In this Christmas carol, we not only join of the shepherds under a canopy of singing angels, we also learn about the child they proclaimed. We discover who He is and what His coming will bring.

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Sources: The Complete Book of Hymns + Gertrude Käsebier

Henry van Dyke

“The Hymn of Joy” (often called “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”) is a poem written by Henry van Dyke in 1907 with the intention of musically setting it to the famous “Ode to Joy” melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Van Dyke’s lyrics were first published in 1911 in his Book of Poems, Third Edition.

About this hymn Van Dyke himself wrote: These verses are simple expressions of common Christian feelings and desires in this present time — hymns of today that may be sung together by people who know the thought of the age, and are not afraid that any truth of science will destroy religion, or any revolution on earth overthrow the kingdom of heaven. It is a hymn of trust and joy and hope.

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Wikipedia

Joseph M. Scriven

Joseph M. Scriven was a man familiar with personal tragedy. While in Ireland, his fiancée accidentally drowned on the eve of the wedding. Soon after, he decided to move to Canada. It was there, his second fiancée also died suddenly from an illness shortly before the wedding. With no job in a hard economy, he had to live with friends and acquaintances. In Canada, he was determined to be a friend to those in need, and he became known as the “Good Samaritan of Port Hope.”

Scriven wrote the words for “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” to accompany a letter to his mother in Ireland when she became ill. Later, when Scriven himself became ill, a visiting friend noticed the hymn scribbled on a scratch paper hear his bed. His friend asked, “Did you write this?” “Well, not completely,” Scriven answered, “The Lord and I did it between us.”

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: The Complete Book of Hymns

Isaac Watts

Queen Anne of England lay dying in 1714, and had no son or daughter to succeed her. It was during this time that Isaac Watts had reason to worry. At odds with the Church of England, Watts’ father had been imprisoned under the previous ruler because of his congregationalist belief. Queen Anne had freed Watts’ father from prision under a new tolerance for religious dissent.  

In the writing of “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” Isaac Watts turned to Psalm 90 for inspiration. Here God stands above time, and in Him all our anxieties can be laid to rest. When events of the day bring worry and concern, the God of ages remains our eternal refuge. 

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Sources: Getty Open Content + The Complete Book of Hymns

Louisa Stead

On a beautiful sunny day in 1882, Louisa Stead, along with her husband and daughter, decided to have a picnic on Long Island Sound. While enjoying their picnic, they heard the cry of a young boy calling for help. Mr. Stead quickly ran to the boy’s aid, but was unable to save the young boy and both he and the boy drowned while Louisa and Lily watched hopelessly from the shore. 

When Louisa and Lily were left destitute with no food or way to adequately support themselves, someone would feel led to place a basket of food outside their door. Louisa saw this as the grace of God that provided for her and her daughter in their time of need. After such an occasion, Louisa wrote the words to a poem that later became the hymn, “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”

In the years to come, both Louisa and Lily would serve as missionaries in South Africa. 

The Refrain
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

© Helpful Creative

Sources: LadyFiddler + GalleryHD

Dan Schutte

Here I Am, Lord, also known as “I, the lord of sea and sky,” is the well known Christian hymn written by American composer Dan Schutte in 1981. The words are based on Isaiah 6:8 and 1 Samuel 3. Published by OCP Publications, it has become one of the most well known Catholic hymns in use today. 

Despite its Catholic origins, Schutte’s hymn is also sung in many Protestant worship services and is found in most Christian hymnals being translated into over 20 languages. 

Partial Lyrics
I the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard My people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord. Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my Heart.

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Wikipedia

Fanny Crosby

Considered by many to be the greatest hymn writer of all time, Frances Jane “Fanny” Crosby wrote over 7000 hymns. People found this astonishing because she was blind.

Fanny wrote “To God Be The Glory” about 1872, and included it in a collection of hymns entitled Brightest and Best. However, while many of the hymns in that collection became quite famous, this one didn't catch on — at least, not in America. 

Then in 1954, Billy Graham went to England for his London Crusade.  Someone gave a copy of the song to Cliff Barrows, Graham's song leader, and suggested including it in the songbook that was being compiled for the crusade.  Barrows had heard the song on an earlier visit to England, and was impressed with its strong note of praise — so he included it in the songbook and used it in the crusade. 

However, it was not until the Billy Graham Crusade in Nashville that Cliff Barrows introduced this song to congregations in the United States. Because of Graham and Barrows influence, compilers soon began including it in hymnals. 

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Lectionary

John Wesley Work & Frederick J. Work

This folk spiritual was first published in New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1901 by John Wesley Work II and his brother, Frederick J. Work. 

The song relates to both the Old and New Testaments. The verses reflect the Israelites’ escape out of Egypt as found in Exodus:14. The chorus refers to healing: see John 5:4, “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” 

Many online sources and popular books maintain that songs such as “Wade in the Water” contained explicit instructions to fugitive slaves on how to avoid capture and the route to take to successfully make their way to freedom. 

An example of this is cited in the Pathways to Freedom: Maryland & the Underground Railroad. This website explains how Harriet Tubman used the song “Wade in the Water” to tell escaping slaves to get off the trail and into the water to make sure that the dogs employed by slavers lost their trail. 

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Wikipedia

Pepper Choplin

“This Is My Word,” is another wonderful choral arrangement composed by Pepper Choplin. Quoting Choplin, his chief desire as a composer is "to create music that will lead people to worship in a dramatic way.” 

Much of Choplin’s creative energy goes into planning worship services for Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC where he is the Minister of Music. Many of his anthems were born out of a need at his own church. Currently, Choplin has over two hundred anthems in addition to six choral musicals. 

Partial Lyrics
As the snow falls from heaven, 
As it comes in swirling showers from the sky, 
So is my Word. 
As the rains bring the water to the earth that is thirsty and dry, 
So is my Word. 
And the Word of my mouth, it shall not return empty: 
It will bless the earth wherever it is heard. 
This is my Word. 

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Amazon

Author Unknown

Like Psalm 16:8, this song points out that we shall not be moved if we keep the Lord on our right hand. The original text and tune are both anonymous. “I Shall Not Be Moved” is considered a traditional American folk song whose lyrics most likely stretch back to the slave era, although there is no indication of when the song was written or who wrote it. 

Typical of spiritual folk songs, “I Shall Not Be Moved” consists of a series of stanzas where only a single line changed for each verse. 

Partial Lyrics
I shall not, I shall not be moved
I shall not, I shall not be moved
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
I shall not be moved

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: austinbhebe

Reginald Heber

Reginald Heber’s widow found the words ”Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,” among her dead husband's papers. These words would became what poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson called the world’s greatest hymn. Still, several years would pass before these words took their place in worship services around the world.

Then in 1861, a publisher rediscovered the words. This publisher asked John Bacchus Dykes to furnish him with a tune. John was a very talented composer and had been a church organist since he was ten-years-old. John was also the co-founder and president of the Cambridge University Musical Society. 

John took the words and within thirty minutes wrote the tune "Nicea," which carried the praise of the Trinity to Christians everywhere.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; 
Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and Mighty! 
God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity!

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Christianity.com

Tim Timmons, Tony Wood & Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Deep Water“ is a truly beautiful contemporary choral arrangement published in 2012. The words and music are by Tim Timmons, Tony Wood and Harriet Beecher Stowe with the arrangement and orchestration by Phillip Keveren.

Partial Lyrics:
When winds are raging o’er the troubled ocean, 
And billows wild contend with angry roar, 
'Tis said far down beneath the wild commotion
Peace still reigneth ever more

Chorus:
For every soul that knows deep water, 
Though rain and waves may never cease, 
For very soul that knows deep water, 
Where Christ dwells there is peace. 

© Helpful Creative

Sources: Chamber Music – YouTube

Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, who along with his brother John started the Methodist movement, wanted to encourage his followers in the face of early persecution and hardship. He wanted them to be a singing, joyful people and not get discouraged and lose hope. Paul’s letter to the Philippians gave Wesley the text for “Rejoice, the Lord Is King.” Although Paul was imprisoned when he wrote this letter, he wrote a message of joy and encouragement, stating “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

This hymn was first published (1744) in John Wesley’s Moral and Sacred Poems. Two years later Charles Wesley included it in Hymns for Our Lord’s Resurrection. Most hymnals include four stanzas, omitting the fourth and fifth stanzas of the original hymn. 

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Center for Church Music

Love Lifted Me

James Rowe was born in Horrabridge, Devonshire, England in 1865. During his lifetime, Rowe claimed to have written more than 19,000 song texts.

He, along with music composer Howard E. Smith wrote this hymn in Saugatuck, Connecticut in 1912. According to Rowe's daughter, “Howard E. Smith was a little man whose hands were so knotted with arthritis that you would wonder how he could use them at all, much less play the piano.... I can see them now, my father striding up and down humming a bar or two, and Howard E. playing it and jotting it down.”

Partial Lyrics:
I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved. 

Sources: PopularHymns.com – RevivalSounds.com

Are You Washed in the Blood?

This well known hymn was written by Elisha Albright (E. A.) Hoffman and published in 1878.

Hoffman was the son of an Evangelical minister who grew up singing sacred hymns both in church and in the home with his parents. After completing high school, he furthered his education at Union Seminary in New Berlin, Pennsylvania, and was subsequently ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1868. During the course of his life, Hoffman composed over 2,000 hymns, and edited over 50 songbooks. 

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Sources: Wikipedia – Bust of a Man by Francis Harwood (English in 1758)

Where We’ll Never Grow Old

This old gospel song has been included on many religious-themed audio compilations, and has been covered by many singers, including The Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves and others. Although James C. Moore is thought to have written the song in 1914, the Library of Congress dates the song to 1879 and credits one William Pond. 

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Sources: Wikipedia – Head of a Bacchante by Charles-Joseph Natoire (French, 1700 - 1777)

For the Beauty of the Earth

Folliot S. Pierpoint was a graduate of Queens College, Cambridge University. Originally a teacher by profession, he traveled from place to place throughout his life, teaching in various schools. Pierpoint eventually retired from academics to become a writer, publishing seven volumes of poetry in his lifetime.   

Pierpoint’s inspiration for this hymn came on a walk one late Spring day, in the lovely area surrounding his home in Bath, England. Overwhelmed with the beauty he saw, he sat down and wrote “For the Beauty of the Earth.” Published as The Sacrifice of Praise in 1864 for the many gifts God has bestowed upon us. It was originally sung as a hymn for communion in Anglican services and has since become a favorite for Sunday School Children. 

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Sources: ShareFaith – SongsandHymns

Just As I Am

Poet and author Charlotte Elliott finished this well-known hymn in 1836. One of her main inspirations for it came from an acquaintance with Dr. César Malan of Geneva. 

One night Dr. Malan, a friend of Charlotte’s father, was seated next to Charlotte at one of her father’s dinner parties. Charlotte had been present due to a severe illness that had left her a permanent invalid. During a simple conversation, Dr. Malan asked Charlotte if she knew herself to be a real Christian. She coldly answered that religion was a matter she did not wish to discuss. Dr. Malan kindly replied, that he would not pursue a subject that displeased her, but would pray that she might give her heart to Christ, and employ in His service the talents with which He had gifted her. After a few days Charlotte apologized to Dr. Malan. She said that she wanted to clean up some things in her life before becoming a Christian. Malan looked at her and answered, “Come just as you are.” That response resonated with Charlotte, and she gave herself to Jesus Christ that day. 

Fourteen years later, remembering those words spoken to her by Dr. Malan in Brighton, England, she wrote “Just As I Am,” a hymn used to touch others who have responded to Christ’s invitation to come just as they are.

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Source: STEM Publishing

A Half A Mile A Day

Written by Johnny Cash and released on his “Personal File” album, “A Half a Mile a Day“ begins as a story where Cash, after one of his concerts, walked the town and came upon a church as people began to give their personal testimonials. It’s a stark contrast of how different one small lady perceived herself and her relationship to the gospel of Jesus Christ from others. 

Partial Lyrics:

I’m comin’ Lord, for my heavenly reward
I’m comin’ home to you, can you see me comin’ thru
Thru clouds of persecution, and stumblin' on my way
I ‘spect I’m only makin’, ‘bout a half a mile a day.

The road to heaven doesn’t have a rapid transit plan,
It’s one way with no changes heading to the promised land.
But I believe that if I’ll heed the things He had to say,
Even I might get to heaven at a half a mile a day.

Lord, when I let you lead, I never make much speed
Cause I have to stop and touch, the ones who need so much
Then sometimes others pull me, off of Your narrow way
And by my mistakes, I barely make, a half a mile a day.

The road to heaven doesn't have a rapid transit plan,
It’s one way with no changes heading to the promised land
But I believe that if I’ll heed the things He had to say,
Even I might get to heaven at a half a mile a day

© Helpful Creative. All Rights Reserved.

Sources: LyricsFreak.com – WikiMedia Commons