THEN SINGS MY SOUL, Book 3

Then Sings My Soul Book 3 : The Story of Our Songs: Drawing Strength from the Great Hymns of Our Faith by Robert J. Morgan is the long awaited third installment of the world's greatest hymns and their stories ... and this is not just the description of the publisher, but mine also, because it's been a 'long awaited' review from me of this third book from his series, that I so enjoyed as I've been 'long awaiting' to read at least one of the 3 books he's written. Since I missed the first two - this was a MUST! I took my time drawing strength from the great hymns of our faith that were featured in this 3rd book and plan to use much more. It's a great addition to any home or church library.

I love church music and I was sure that I'd love learning about the hymns through this magnificent collection spanning from, believe it or not, the first biblical hymns, all the way to our current contemporary praise ones, crossing through worship music in the church from ancient to medieval to Gospel from German and English ancestors to current generations. Truly an amazing accomplishment and quite the collection to treasure so very well written!

I must admit that I have never been much of a "lover of hymns" though so that may be why I tarried so because I hardly knew many of these hymns. Although I have my favorites and love to hear their stories, reading "Then Sings My Soul..." has definitely made me much more interested in listening and appreciating our hymns. I learned so much soaking in this book.

I was so thankful that this detailed collection of over 50 hymns, not only includes an overview of Christian hymnody through the centuries, as I already shared, but it includes the actual music and all the verses. This allowed me to sit and read the music to become better familiar with the hymn and in some cases, I was able to figure out that I actually did know the hymn. For this alone, I took much time in thoroughly acquainting myself with the hymns, the stories behind them and the well documented church history as told by Robert J. Morgan, truly a master of concisely covering so much history and information in such an interesting manner, making it  easy to enjoy reading.

My favorite part, in addition to singing through the hymns, was learning more about the hymn, its composer, and its composition - the behind the "hymn". When you read the biographical sketches and the lyrics, knowing what part of history they were written, it takes on so much more meaning and it does strengthen your faith as well as deepen the meaning of our church music history, realizing the great importance of hymns to our contemporary music.

The book is divided into four sections: an overview of Christian "hymnody" from Biblical scriptures to modern times as I already noted; a series of short stories for a variety of many unknown hymns to me; then the section I liked best because of familiarity of six well loved hymns that gives more detail then the previous section for these and finally the role of hymns in private and public life. I completely agree with Morgan's concluding part of "interwoven worship", blending hymns along with our contemporary worship and praise songs.

"Then Sings My Soul..." Book 3 stands alone with all of Robert Morgan's detailed background information. I'm sure that the first two are just as great but I'm glad to add this unique book to my collection and so would you. "Hymns are great therapy" (as he wrote) to draw strength from the song, the words. I love the recommendations that Robert Morgan gives us in the final part to read the hymns, memorize the hymns, meditate on the hymns, play the hymns, PRAY the hymns, proclaim the hymns, quote the hymns, lean on the hymns, start each day with a hymn, but most importantly pass them on to our children.

Even the wonderful texture of the pages makes it one that I will return to often for information and using it in my time alone with God because the 3 indexes which make it so easy to access the hymn by first line, title or author/songwriter.I believe strongly in starting each day with praise and prayer so I hope to do so more often with these hymns after reading this unique book and becoming more of a hymn lover. My soul will continue to SING more hymns and unto HIM with a deepened faith strengthened by "THEN SINGS MY SOUL, Book 3..."

Thomas Nelson Product page Amazon.com Product Page
*Note: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

* extra blog NOTE: I'm hoping to make my WOW posts into Worship On Weds. for awhile to focus on the great hymns in this book with hopes to strengthen your faith too. Remember there were more than 50 in this book alone covered...
I do not know anything about 'Scrap booking' but I bookmarked a wonderful blogger I encountered who does beautiful scrap booking and up until she was moving, she had been doing a great Challenge on this: Hymn and Scripture Challenge so I'm sure I'll be linking to hers rather than duplicate info if I do any of the ones that she's already covered... and I hope that she continues on her blog soon with this challenge. 
Maybe you would like to join me in sharing one of these great hymns/songs of our church history every week. (Weds. for me but you can do it any day) Should we do a LINK UP? Now that's real accountability and inspiration from just reading the 3rd Volume. Imagine if I had read all 3 volumes. So check back on Weds. or SONdays for more about this.
I've found many wonderful resources and today I'd like to share just one, where you can learn about a hymn each week and so much more at Center for Church Music Songs and Hymns. Also every Sunday, they have a spot for just 5 minutes on a Moody radio station for you to listen. Check this out also on the link to their website.

Death, death, where is your sting?

There are many CHOICES and STYLES available at YOU TUBE videos of the song "IT IS WELL" (and new ones maybe even better since this was posted) such as:

1) Joseph Shore 

traditional hymn style

2) Sandi Patti
of course, no one sings like this star

3) Big Small Village

historical (below)

4) Jars of Clay

5) Faith Hill

6) Wintley Phipps

7) an Instrumental

8) 4HIM

I felt that yesterday I didn't really finish with the two songs I chose that bring PEACE to me as I sing them. I researched much of the day to try and find out as much as I could about songs with PEACE, but in particular these two: (1) "I've Got PEACE like a River" and (2) "It is Well with My Soul" (but since it's first line says... "When PEACE like a River ... " some know it with that title).

I'm going to focus on this inspiring hymn! Here are the lyrics:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,  When sorrows like sea billows roll;  Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,  It is well, it is well, with my soul.  It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul,  It is well, it is well, with my soul.  Though Satan should buffet,  though trials should come,  Let this blessed assurance control,  That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,  And hath shed His own blood for my soul.  It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul,  It is well, it is well, with my soul.  My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!  My sin, not in part but the whole,  Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!  It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul,  It is well, it is well, with my soul.  And Lord, haste the day when my 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.  It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul,  It is well, it is well, with my soul.

When I look at a song, I like to know WHO wrote it, WHO sings it, READ the words and HEAR it. If it's one I want to sing along with, I, for sure, need the lyrics and it wouldn't hurt to have the music ... but there's enough variety here to suit your style, or just go to YOU Tube 

Many of you, probably know the history of the this song: "It is well with My Soul", written by Horatio Spafford and composer, Philip P.Bliss (who also died in a tragic train accident). I had heard it before but did not recall their names, just his circumstances! Good ole' Google!

There were many places that gave me the information on this one, but the best came from: Christian Music and this site which gives a very good Biblical account of an old Shumanite woman, who also claimed "it is well... " in a great loss in 2 Kings 4:26.

They summed up the story of Horatio like this: 

"Horatio Gates Spafford (1828-1888), a long-time Christian, had been a wealthy businessman, but lost his entire fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Shortly after, Spafford's wife, Anna, survived a shipwreck while crossing the ocean, then sent him the telegram, "Saved alone." Spafford's only four daughters had been killed in a ship accident. While crossing the Atlantic in 1873, near the location where his daughters were said to have drowned, he stared out at the waves and wrote the lyrics to the hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul". 



I can't even imagine how one could write a song, in the midst of such despair and with such heaviness, much less like they say in their article, "and say it is well with my soul". I can remember the overwhelming grief of having lost a loved one! 

Throughout my childhood, many aunts, uncles, and other relatives died, many from cancer, so I saw "death" around me and the pain of loosing loved ones. The most difficult deaths, were more recent: my father, my brother and my mother! The utter despair was greatest when I had to say goodbye to my youngest brother. I was devastated because he was not just my baby brother, but my friend! The day of his burial, I completely lost it. I started out to meet everyone at the Resurrection Cemetery, but never made it! As I was making the interstate loop, I fell apart. I looped again, as if I was going to return home, but then looped again, and went in the opposite direction, as if I was running away from the reality. I just couldn't make myself go there. When I realized what I was doing, I moved off the Interstate, at a gas station, to make a phone call and I dialed his (my deceased brother's) phone number and got his answering machine ... but at least I heard his voice. 

How I longed to talk with him and share my sadness of him not being there for me to chat with about this! It was so bad, I had the "flight" response because I couldn't cope and clearly there was no one there to support me or help me. I went to an old, inexpensive but familiar motel, where I could be alone. One night became one week, which became one month. I cried and I cried out to God, much like Mary and Martha with Lazarus (John 11). But I got a"peace" down in my soul. From that grief, and spiral of a clinical depression, I went in for counseling. 

First, I was counseled and then I went to Love Lines Counseling classes, to learn and volunteer on crisis prayer phone line counseling, because each class was going to teach me how to heal and be the "healing balm of Gilead" to others. After completion of the course, I had returned ... I was back to being me, but a lot stronger and ready to give back. So I volunteered to 2 phone shifts, where I would pray with others needing someone to lift them up. 

From this experience, I learned "it is much better to give" than receive. As I gave of myself and my time, I saw MIRACLES from my MESS and learned that God uses a broken vessel. As you pour out, He'll fill you back up over flowing. And it is all for the Glory of God! So, from the depths of despair, I cried out along with Horatio, "IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL!"  Another break through ... 

Each step, along my life journey, which I call MAZE...in my title of my blog ... has led me to that aMAZING GRACE (another GREAT hymn with a great story). However, I never felt compelled to write a song ... Sing a song (yes) and I did and I do and I will sing unto the Lord for HE IS GOOD and His mercy endures forever! It is written in Proverbs and said often that "laughter is good medicine". I believe that MUSIC has been my good medicine! I have songs for everything! Songs that just bubble up from within me, like a brook. Maybe that's how they came up with the river analogy. I have enjoyed different kinds of music throughout my life but there is nothing like good Christian, worship music, adoration music, praise music by GREAT Christian writers, composers and musicians. I wasn't sure where God was leading me, in this MAZE, in my MESSage for today...it went a totally different direction than I had set out, when I was researching. I guess the Bible verses from the two sites above ... started me reflecting and God just flowed in this direction through me. There must be a reason, because God has a plan for everything! I have embraced the significance of this aMAZING hymn! 

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 

If you are dealing with grief, right now, whether it be through death, divorce, or loss of your health-or any health issue, that causes you to wonder and wander as I did, THE POWER of the LOVE of Jesus Christ is INCREDIBLE! 

You are in a battle, for peace of mind, but it's already been won! Set your mind on Jesus: mind over matter. Take your mind off the worry, off the pain, off the problem, off the fears, off the frustration...and place it at the foot of the cross. It was nailed there and taken care of for you! Focus not on the problem but the Problem SOLVER! He knows all of your FEELINGS, He FELT it then and HE feels it along with you. 

The great hymn writer, Horatio Spafford, reminds us that these life storms and feelings, come from the author of discord and disagreement, anything negative comes from him...Satan. He's in this battle, to steal you from the One who brings PEACE and DELIVERANCE, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ! Don't let Satan's negativism win! Do not let your feelings rule! FAITH must go before your feelings! Allow God to take control and rescue you from this pit! He did it for me and HE WILL DO IT for YOU because HE LOVES YOU so much that HE stretched out HIS arms, as far as He could to show you, on the cross at Calvary, when HE proclaimed "IT IS FINISHED". 

So, SING it LOUD and SING it CLEAR ... IT is WELL WITH MY SOUL! Declare it! Grab hold of this peace!