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| April's Books of the Month |
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Larissa Swim was kind enough to gift us with this wonderful source of information. This is a book that chronicles the origins of some 150 hymns. Set up in chronological order Morgan weaves the story behind these hymns. Marla and I use this, in conjunction with the daily bread, for our devotional in the morning. So… for 150 days we got to learn about some of our favorite hymns. We’ll be going through this again because the stories fade from memory. The study of hymns (hymnology for those looking for a $10.00 word) is a fascinating read for several reasons. First and foremost to me is it serves as a reminder that I am not the only person on this planet who has ever struggled. When reading about what some of these composers went through I see my concerns in a whole new light. For some people, knowing that “things could always be worse” doesn’t comfort them… for me it is a reminder that others have persevered and triumphed and I can too. |
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From a Book Review on Amazon.com If you ever wanted to know the background behind the hymns that we sing, this two-volume collection is for you. Robert J. Morgan has collected and compiled stories of hymns from all over the world and from every time period. Each book takes a look at 150 hymns, so the sum total is 300 - certainly, most of the familiar hymns including your favorite hymns are included. And there are other hymns herein, that you would enjoy singing and reading about. In Book II, there are stories about many hymn favorites, including: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus", "The First Noel", "Break Thou the Bread of Life" and "Joy to the World!" Both books would be very helpful to pastors planning worship-and indeed could be the springboard for any number of sermons, illustrations or hymn festivals. But the usefulness does not stop there. These volumes are really a mini compendium of faith's response to God's wonders and blessings, and so, together, they are treasuries of devotional resources. For more than twenty years, author Robert J. Morgan has served as the pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, so he brings a pastor's reverence and appreciation of these hymns to his narrative |
| See a list of past books | |