Explore every episode of the podcast Stories about Hymn

I know! It's been a long time; I'm sorry.  But don't worry, I'm not off the air, just busy living life.  More episodes will come out soon!

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The mythicization of hymns isn't new.  We learn this in this episode about a very common song we sing today.  However, the story is still amazing and very applicable to our daily lives.  Whether true or not, this story is uplifting and continues to praise God.

Here is a link to the hymn of this story being played in its alternate tune: https://youtu.be/cv4qQgiO5fQ

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It's been too long!

Trying to catch up on the last few months, in this story we discuss the tragic circumstances that created a song we commonly sing to help encourage us.  An incident in this hymn author's life allowed him to pen these words to help encourage his own mother, and now we can sing it too.

Here is the link I reference in the episode where you can see a draft of the hymn in the author's own handwriting:

https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus

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This is a new, new song.  In an attempt to highlight some of those beautiful new hymns that are coming out, I tell the story of one woman's struggle to have and maintain her marriage, and the dark moments it brought her to.  But in the end, she wrote dozens of songs to help others in their trying moments and to, more importantly, glorify God.

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Mary Baker, survivor of a dying family.  After witness the death of many close relatives, living through near financial ruin onset by natural disasters, and her doubts of God's grace, she is given a life changing opportunity that she took advantage of to see revival and glorify God.  And she gave us a beautiful hymn.  Listen to this episode to find out more.

You can find the main source for this episode at https://ldshymnology.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/mary-baker-1832-1925/

You can go to www.visitgcbc.com to provide your support to Missionary Nate Shaver and family.

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This is a special episode.  I have a wonderful conversation with Randy Petersen, author of Be Still My Soul, one of the first books I started reading about hymn histories.  He was the first one who made these stories "real" for me, so it was a privilege to speak with the author for so long.  I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!.

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This is our first, of hopefully many, modern songs.  This one comes straight from the Hamilton Family.  In this episode, you'll learn how tragic events led to one of the most sung Hamilton songs, and how we are reminded that God is always good.

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In this episode you'll listen to the story of a song from one of my favorite hymn authors and composers, because this man did both.  His life ended tragically and earlier than this world deserved, but through modern inventions, his work lives on and continues to glorify God.

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It is time for an origin story, that is, MY origin story.  In this episode, you'll learn how a Christmas hymn from France, which has its own story, helped create the Stories about Hymn podcast.

Here is the link to the video of Joan Baez singing this hymn in its original language: https://youtu.be/Mxfmnk7l_pI

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It's the most patriotic time of the year... in America.  I thank the Lord for leading Ben Everson to record a cover of the American national anthem just one month before I planned on covering its history.  In this episode, you'll learn, if you don't know already, the deeper history of the song that goes beyond the Battle of Fort McHenry. In this episode, I refer to an earlier song by Francis Scott Key.  In reviewing the episode, I just realized I forgot to give its title:  When the Warrior Returns.  Here is a link so you can read all of the stanzas:  http://www.potw.org/archive/potw340.html Happy Fourth of July! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stories-about-hymn/support

This is another wonderful history that does not have a sad story behind it.  It is simply about a man who was lost, got saved, and was so sure and thankful for his salvation that he made a song about it.  It cannot get much better than that.

A few admin notes:  The sound quality of the last episode, this one, and the next few are sub-par.  I did not have access to my regular equipment; please bare with me.  Also, this is a missionary awareness episode.  To provide some more context, the missionary that will be discussed is Michael Shaver, who lost his wife to cancer late last year and to whom Episodes 6 and 7 were dedicated.  This is the primary reason for his break from deputation.

Michael's missionary website is https://icelandicmissions.com/michaelshaver.html

With that, please enjoy this episode with all of your heart!

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Many of our song's stories are epic by nature.  Some of them are even too good to be believable.  Often, this is the case.  However, that does not mean there isn't some truth worth retelling!  Listen how one hymn took nearly one thousand years to be completed, from pen to music sheet.  While this story may not be as good as well all would like it to be, we can still give God the glory!

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Sometimes, life is short.  But that does not mean God should not get the glory.  In this episode, we learn how a crippled young woman who died at an early age glorified God through her hymns.  And it wasn't just her life that led to the creation of this hymn, but it was also the death of another.  Further, we learn how this song was used in one of the greatest missionary stories ever recorded, and how one of those missionaries died at nearly the same age of the song's author.

This song is performed by Grace Community Church of San Antonio, Texas.  You can listen to more of their music here: https://gccsatx.com/hymns/

Here is the link to my new blog site:  https://storiesabouthymn.wordpress.com

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We've learned how political events can inspire people to write music.  In this episode, we learn how a political event has overshadowed the context of one man's song.  Graduation day, that is, the day of march, is one to celebrate for sure.  For one person, it was worth writing a whole new song about. Be sure to check out my Instagram page at www.instagram.com/storiesabouthymn where you can participate in photo trivia by guessing the next episode's song! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stories-about-hymn/support

Political struggles are never easy, especially when your national identity are on the line.  Jean Sibelius knew this and fought against the chains of oppression in the best way he knew how:  music!

You can listen to a recreation of his finale tableau here:  https://youtu.be/F5zg_af9b8c

The second piece of his symphony, the first tableau, was called "The Song of Väinämöinen."  You see why I couldn't pronounce it?

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This is our first missionary themed episode.  Here, we learn the struggles one man had to endure during his life as a missionary.  Nearly one third of his life he spent trudging across the the African continent, facing extreme dangers most of us can only imagine.  But, he did it happily and with a heart to follow God, despite his downfalls.  Learn how this man wrote the words used as a refrain as he looked back on his rugged life. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stories-about-hymn/support

Learn how one man had to quickly mature at a young age and how this aided him in his spiritual life.  But, things were never easy for Robert and it would later affect him in his older years. As promised in the episode, here are the lyrics for this song.  however, after uploading the episode, I learned that the additional stanzas, the ones I though were removed from the original, are actually added to the original.  My apologies in advance for this confusion.  This is not a professional podcast!  I will address this in my next episode as well. Come Thou fount of every blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise Teach me some melodious sonnet Sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love Here I raise my Ebenezer Here by Thy great help I've come And I hope by Thy good pleasure Safely to arrive at home Jesus sought me when a stranger Wandering from the fold of God He to rescue me from danger Interposed His precious blood (Precious blood) Oh, that day when freed from sinning I shall see Thy lovely face Clothed then in blood washed linen How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace Come my Lord, no longer tarry Take my ransomed soul away Send Thine angels now to carry Me to realms of endless days Oh, to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be Let Thy goodness like a fetter Bind my wandering heart to Thee Prone to wander, Lord I feel it Prone to leave the God I love Here's my heart, oh take and seal it Seal it for Thy courts above --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stories-about-hymn/support

What do you do when your plan for life fails?  Your career is shattered and you get to a point you can't even take care of yourself and you end up living with and older couple as your caretakers.  That's what happened to this hymn story's author in the mid-1700s.  Learn what he did, Who he looked to, get get out of his states of depression. The performance of the song was arranged by Brian Buda and is performed by Majesty Music.  Majesty Music, Inc. holds the copyrights and this cover is used with permission. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stories-about-hymn/support

Learn how Envina Hall's lack of attention turned into a worship of God and a praise of His sacrifice for us. It is interesting how a "coincidence" can bring two unrelated compositions into relation. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stories-about-hymn/support

Fanny Crosby's whole life is worthy of a hymn story.  After writing thousands of songs as a blind woman, her life is full of many smaller stories too.  In this story, it was one particular service in a prison that created the words in this hymn.  Listen and learn how our "disabilities" were given as gifts to us in order to glorify God.

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Nadia was a special woman.  In this second dedication to her, learn how her story provided comfort to her friends and those who know her story.

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This song is dedicated to the life of someone who had cancer.  Faith has the victory, because it was her faith that has healed her.  She no longer has cancer and is now at home; she is now in heaven.

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In another sad story, we learn that we can always trust God, no matter how sorrowful times are.  Let's face it, we will run into a storm at some point, so why not trust in God now, in the storm, and after it?  Listen to this story about Louisa Stead's beautiful song.

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In a tune that urges Christians to fight the spiritual battle, the song "Faith is the Victory" by John Yates is a reminder that during our hard times, with have a shield of faith to protect us.  Listen through the song to hear a bonus story.

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Music is a very powerful and influential tool.  God expects us to give Him music, but it was also given to us to lift our spirits.

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A few days late, here is the next episode about one of my favorite Christmas carols, "I Head the Bells on Christmas Day."

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This is our first episode and covers the song "Day by Day" by Carolina Berg.  Learn the history, listen to the words, then trust God and give Him the glory. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stories-about-hymn/support

This is an introduction that sets the ground for future episodes.  There's no music or history here, but keep listening and there will be.

I also want to see how many people are interested in such a topic.  Please leave any feedback where applicable.

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