Only Trust Him

The hymn on which this week's anthem is based was written by John Stockton (1813-77). Stockton was raised a Presbyterian but converted to Methodism after a camp meeting. He went on to be a Methodist pastor and evangelist in New Jersey. In addition to his hymn “Only Trust Him,” Stockton is known as the composer of the music for the gospel song, “Glory to His Name.”

Ira Sankey, D.L. Moody’s songleader, discovered Stockton’s song in 1873 before it was published. It is said that the original lyrics in the refrain repeated the words, “Come to Jesus” three times and that Sankey altered the lyrics to the version we know: “Only trust Him.” According to some sources, Sankey is credited with composing the music and the lyrics for the refrain.

The arrangement we'll be singing was done by Andrew Duncan, the Director of Music Ministries at Fountain City United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Andrew is clearly a gifted arranger, writing for both handbells and choir. I asked him to describe his approach to arranging and the reasons behind his work on "Only Trust Him." He explained, "My motivation when arranging usually comes from the combination of a text which I feel some connection to AND a musical idea. In this case, I was working with the contemporary worship leader at our church as we went through some "classic" hymns, trying to find some that would lend themselves to a more contemporary setting. "Only Trust Him" was one we considered but did not use - however, I found myself rediscovering the contour of the melody and the core gospel message of the text. I took it back and wrote it out for my choir instead of the praise team."

The "core gospel message," as Andrew describes it, is clear in the text, and it's obvious why it would have appealed to the evangelistically-minded Sankey:

Come, every soul by sin oppressed;
There’s mercy with the Lord,
And He will surely give you rest
By trusting in His Word.

For Jesus shed His precious blood
Rich blessings to bestow;
Plunge now into the crimson flood
That washes white as snow.

Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way,
That leads you into rest;
Believe in Him without delay
And you are fully blessed.

The last verse of Andrew's arrangement is one my favorite parts. It demonstrate a deft musical touch and an awareness of the text. As Andrew explains, "I always hope to present the words clearly in my arrangements - while illustrating the text with the music. For instance - "come then and join this holy band" the men present the invitation, while you can hear the "band" singing in the women's parts."

Come, then, and join this holy band,
And on to glory go
To dwell in that celestial land
Where joys immortal flow.

The ending is a beautifully tender moment, rich in texture and deep in meaning. "I remember enjoying the process of writing the ending," Andrew recalls. "Instead of "amens" in canon, being able to repeat the core message of the mercy found in Jesus. That, for me, is the heart of this hymn - reassurance that despite our flaws and failures, our trust is well-founded - there's mercy with the Lord."

Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.

These Things Are True of You

Our anthem this week was composed by Tommy Walker, a worship leader at Christian Assembly in Los Angeles. In addition to his work with his local church, Walker has traveled with Promise Keepers, Greg Laurie Harvest Crusades and Franklin Graham. He is a recording artist with Maranatha! Music, Integrity Music and other publishers. We have used several of his songs in the early service at Covenant, including, "He Knows My Name," a wonderful reminder of God's care, based on Psalm 139, and "We Will Remember," which recounts the faithfulness of God to His people.

The song "These Things Are True of You" addresses Christ, listing the many attributes that mark His character and work in our lives.

Unshakable, immovable, faithful and true;
Full of wisdom, strength and beauty:
These things are true of You.
Fearless, courageous,
Righteousness shines through in all You do,
Yet You're so humble; You laid down Your life:
These things are true of You.

Patient, compassionate, love flows through You.
You never give up on the hopeless ones:
These things are true of You.
Holy and blameless, You stand up for justice and truth,
Yet You love mercy and forgiveness:
These things are true of You.

The refrain of the song, then, prays the boldest prayer a believer can pray:

And as I turn my face to You,
Oh Lord, I ask and pray:
By the power of Your love and grace,
Make these things true of me, too;
Make these things true of me, too.

We have an example to follow in Christ, but He never expects us to achieve our discipleship in the flesh. Let us rest in the promise of Galatians 5:22-25 that is not by our own power that the image of Christ is created in us:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

"These Things Are True of You"
Tommy Walker
Copyright 1996 Doulos Publishing (Maranatha! Music)

What Wondrous Love Is This

This week we return to reflections on older songs, as we look at the hymn that will be our anthem this week. Our song, “What Wondrous Love Is This,” comes from an early 19th century shaped-note collection called Southern Harmony, and Music Companion (1835). William "Singin' Billy" Walker was the primary compiler of this collection which included over 300 songs. It became one of the most influential tunebooks in US history, and perhaps the best seller. Walker collected tunes and texts from a variety of well-known hymnwriters, including Watts, Wesley, and Newton, as well as indigenous sources. It is from the latter sources that we get tunes for songs like “What Wondrous Love Is This.”

Like Keith and Kristyn Getty (see last week’s post), Walker was interested in reaching a multi-generational audience. In the preface to the original edition of Southern Harmony, Walker states his intentions: “Those that are partial to ancient music, will find here some good old acquaintances which will cause them to remember with pleasure the scenes of life that are past and gone; while my youthful companions, who are more fond of modern music, I hope will find a sufficient number of new tunes to satisfy them, as I have spared no pains in trying to select such tunes as would meet the wishes of the public.”

The text of “What Wondrous Love Is This,” from an anonymous Appalachian folk hymn, bears a quality familiar to readers of the Psalms. In the hymn, the singer addresses his or her own soul; David and the other psalmists were never too proud to talk to themselves. There are particular echoes to Psalm 43, where the psalmist sings, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (v. 5).

In the hymn, we remind our soul of God’s action of love in Christ to bear our curse of sin and to rescue us from our dismal fate:

What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

The hymn also declares the intention of the believer, overcome by such a great salvation, to join the eternal song of the great "cloud of witnesses" in praise of God, a song that will not be stilled by death; rather, a song that will only become deeper, richer and more resonant in the halls of heaven:

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.

Sing on!

Merciful God

The past few posts have focused on influential hymnwriters of the past. These poets, pastors and theologians have contributed to the vitality of Christian worship for centuries and their legacy is still felt in countless churches each Sunday. For those of us who love hymns, it is encouraging to know that hymnwriting, though an uncommon endeavor, is not a lost art.

Keith and Kristyn Getty, and their frequent collaborator Stuart Townend, are producing songs that have traditional melodies and contemporary, yet deeply theological, texts. Their lyrics stand in clear contrast to much of what is being written for congregational use today. The clarity of thought and sheer biblicality of the texts, coupled with the singable beauty of their melodies make their songs true treasures.

Their goal in writing these hymns is two-fold, according to Keith: "First, it's to help teach the faith. What we sing affects how we think, how we feel and ultimately how we live, so it's so important that we sing the whole scope of truth the Bible has given us. The second reason is to try to create a more timeless musical style that every generation can sing, a style that relates to the past and the future."

"Our hope is not in ourselves, it's in Christ," Kristyn adds. "We want music for the Church to be able to lift us beyond our circumstances and become a plumb line for bringing all of our life experiences to the Truth."

Our anthem this week illustrates how well they are able to achieve these goals:

Merciful God, O abounding in love,
Faithful to all who draw near You;
Hearing the cries of the humble in heart,
Showing the cross they may cling to.
Broken I come, helpless in sin,
Found at the feet of Your mercy.
Father, forgive; may my sin be remembered no more.

Merciful God, O abounding in love,
Faithful through times we have failed You;
Selfish in thought and uncaring in deed,
Foolish in word and ungrateful.
Spirit of God, conquer our hearts
With love that flows from forgiveness;
Cause us to yield and return to the mercy of God.

Merciful God, O abounding in love,
Faithful to keep us from falling;
Guiding our ways with Your fatherly heart,
Growing our faith with each testing.
God speed the day struggles will end;
Faultless we'll gaze on Your glory.
Then we will stand overwhelmed by the mercy of God.
Words and Music by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Stuart Townend
©2006 Thankyou Music