A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Music

Send The Light

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I was looking for a song the other day and letting it play, when it was over this song starting playing and my heart smiled!   So here you go.. have a smile today with Send The Light!

send the light

Charles H. Gabriel is the author is this upbeat song.   A farmboy from Iowa who taught himself as a teenager to play a reed organ.  He went on to lead singing in schools at age 16.   I am not clear if this is in local schools or if he established singing schools.  Didn’t sources  He wrote more songs then you would think, but many he wrote under different pseudonyms.

He had a love for Sunday School and wrote many songs just for Sunday Schools to sing.   

This particular song was written when he was the music director in San Francisco.  The Sunday School superintendent asked him for a missionary hymn for Easter Sunday.  They were doing a special missionary offering so wanted a song to highlight that.   A visiting missionary heard the song and loved it, and shared it widely.   This caused Send the Light to become his first popular song. 

Lyrics

1 There’s a call comes ringing o’er the restless wave, “Send the light! Send the light”
There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save,
Send the light!
Send the light!

Chorus:
Send the light the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!

2 We have heard the Macedonian call today,”Send the light! Send the light!”
And a golden off’ring at the cross we lay,
Send the light!
Send the light!

[Chorus]

3 Let us pray that grace may ev’rywhere abound, “Send the light! Send the light!”
And a Christ-like spirit ev’rywhere be found,
Send the light!
Send the light!

[Chorus]

4 Let us not grow weary in the work of love, “Send the light! Send the light!”
Let us gather jewels for a crown above,
Send the light!
Send the light!

[Chorus]

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

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Hosanna, loud hosanna is often called a children’s song.  I grew up singing it, and so I bring it to you today. 

Written by Jeanette Threlfall. This gentle, sweet lady was orphaned young and therefore was raised by her uncle and aunt, and later on she lived with their daughter.  She suffered an accident that left her an invalid with a lame limb.  This gave her lots of time to write poetry and hymns, some of which are published and about 6 are still in use today. 

Lyrics

Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises, the simplest and the best.

From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud;
Bright angels joined the chorus, beyond the cloudless sky,
Hosanna in the highest, glory to God on high!

Fair leaves of silvery olive they strewed upon the ground,
While Salem’s circling mountains echoed the joyful sound;
The Lord of men and angels rode on in lowly state,
Nor scorned that little children should on His bidding wait.

Hosanna in the highest! that ancient song we sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven our king.
O may we ever praise Him with heart and life and voice,
And in His blissful presence eternally rejoice!

Jesus calls us o’er the tumult

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Jesus calls us o’er the tumult is a hymn I was reminded of as I poured through the pages of my hymnbook.  Listen close, do you hear his call?   Do you hear him call you from your daily tasks into a life that is better?  One filled with reward?   Keep your ears open, the call is real. 

I recently did another song by the author of this hymn.  Cecil Alexander also wrote All Things Bright and Beautiful.  She was the author of a good 400 hymns, 6 of which are still in current day Irish Hymnals.   She used the money she made from her books/music to fund charitable works in her community.   (source)

Lyrics

Jesus calls us over the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, Christian, follow Me!

As of old Saint Andrew heard it
By the Galilean lake,
Turned from home and toil and kindred,
Leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, Christian, love Me more!

In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
Christian, love Me more than these!

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Savior may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.

Living Hope

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We sang this song in church this morning, it reminded me that death has not claimed me. Jesus broke the chains. He is indeed our living hope, our reason for being.

Written by Brian Johnson and Phil Whikam.  You can read the full story of how it came to be here.  In a nut shell, it was a collaborative effort of God impressing upon them the work he has done in their lives. 

Lyrics

How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope
 
refrain
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
 
Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior, I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope
 
refrain
 
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
And out of silence, the roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Oh Jesus, Yours is the victory, 
 
refrain x 2

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

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Hymntime. their version contains six verses, which is more verses than my familiar three.  Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah is a well-known song for me. 

Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah is sometimes sung with the first line of Guide Me, O My great redeemer.   I don’t know if this is updated language or an original alteration.  Written by William Willams from Wales, he died on the same farm he grew up on.  A wanna-be doctor who became a preacher.  He wrote around 20 hymns.

Lyrics

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.

Feed me with the heavenly manna,
In this barren wilderness;
Be my sword, and shield, and banner—
Be my robe of righteousness.
Fight and conquer, fight and conquer
All my foes by sovereign grace,
All my foes by sovereign grace.*

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.

Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,
Wondrous are Thy works of old;
Thou deliver’st Thine from thralldom,
Who for naught themselves had sold:
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer,
Sin, and Satan and the grave,
Sin, and Satan and the grave.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.

Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!

This is a tune I am not familiar with but I love listening to men sing. I hope you do too!  🙂

All Things Bright and Beautiful

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All Things Bright and Beautiful is a hymn from my past that I thought I would share with you. 

Cecil F Alexander is the author of this lovely hymn.  A hymn that recalls us to creation God has so magnificently put together.  HE!  The one who has made this frigid weather we are currently dealing us, is the same one who gives us tulips in the spring.  Awesome isn’t it?

It is thought Mrs. Alexander wrote these lyrics at Markree Castle in Ireland.  Her husband, William Alexander, was the bishop of Derry and Raphoe, and later on the Anglican primate for Ireland. 

Not only did she help start a school for the deaf (along with her sister), she also wrote more than 400 hymns, and set up the Girls Friendly Society in London. This society existed to help country girls gain the skills needed to work in the city as well as give them much needed support.  It has changed its focus but is still in operation today.

Lyrics

Refrain

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

Refrain

[Most hymnals omit the following verse]

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
He made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.

Refrain

The purple headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning
That brightens up the sky.

Refrain

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

Refrain

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day.

Refrain

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

Refrain

The God of Abraham Praise

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I turned to my hymnbook for a song for today.  I found “The God of Abraham Praise”.  I had to think for a bit if I knew this song and vaguely remember singing it a time or two. 

The God of Abraham Praise was written by Thomas Olivers.  He wrote the song to fit with the Jewish Yigdal.   He did this because he heard cantor Meyer Leoni sing the Doxology of the Yigdal at Duke’s Place Synagogue in the 1700’s.    Olivers was so impressed by this that he wrote this Christian hymn, based on the yigdal.  The tune was named after the cantor. 

Olivers was a firm follower of John Wesley, and his song made it in the Wesley’s hymnal Sacred Songs.   Prior to becoming a follower of Wesley he had life of a wastrel. But God moved in his heart and he became one of Wesley’s assistants and thereafter was engaged in itinerant ministry. 

The God of Abraham Praise

Lyrics

Interesting, the lyrics between my hymnbook and the verses I found on-line were quite different from each other, beyond the first verse.   For all the verses, see here.   Below are the verses from my hymnbook. 

The God of Abraham praise,
Who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days
And God of love.
Jehovah, great I Am!
By earth and heaven confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name
Forever blest.
His spirit floweth free,
High surging where it will
In prophet's word He spoke of old
He speaketh still.
Established is his law
and changeless it shall stand
Deep writ upon the human heart
On sea, or land.

He hath eternal life
implanted in the soul
His love shall be our strength and stay
while ages roll.
Praise to the living God!
All praises be his name.
Who was and is and is to be
For aye the same.