Hymn Story Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me Hymn Lists by book of Bible The transient lives of sailors—especially a century ago—made it difficult for sailors to maintain any sort of spiritual routine.  Except for aircraft carriers and some modern cruise ships, few ships have a chaplain aboard.  Worship services would be unavailable on most ships unless [...]

Hymn Story Jesus, Name above All Names Hymn Lists by book of Bible Naida Hearn (1931-2001) was a New Zealand housewife doing ordinary household chores one day in 1974—but her thoughts were on Jesus rather than laundry.  She had made a list of the Biblical names of Jesus, and placed the list on the windowsill [...]

Hymn Story Jesus Loves Me Hymn Lists by book of Bible Some years ago, I was privileged to tour the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.  I remember standing at the Academy cemetery on the high bank of the Hudson River -- a place of great beauty.  Our guide pointed [...]

Hymn Story Jesus Is All the World to Me Hymn Lists by book of Bible Will Lamartine Thompson (1847-1909) was born in Pennsylvania, but his family moved to East Liverpool, Ohio (near the Pennsylvania border) while he was still quite young.  His father was a successful merchant, and also served in the Ohio legislature for [...]

Hymn Story Jesus Christ Is Risen Today Hymn Lists by book of Bible Writing the story of this hymn is a task complicated by the hymn's early origins, the many changes that it has undergone through the centuries, and the conflicting dates and data found in the various sources that I consulted. Another problem is [...]

Hymn Story Jesus Calls Us Hymn Lists by book of Bible Cecil Frances Alexander (her married name) was an outstanding young woman by virtue of ability, education, and service.  While still quite young, she and her sister operated a school for the deaf, and she also published a highly successful book of hymns for children—designating [...]

Hymn Story It Is Well with My Soul Hymn Lists by book of Bible It Is Well with My Soul Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) was quite successful—a senior partner in a Chicago law firm.  He was also a committed Christian layman who supported the ministry of Dwight L. Moody.  But he was faced with a series [...]

Hymn Story It Came upon a Midnight Clear Hymn Lists by book of Bible This Christmas hymn was written by Edmund Hamilton Sears, a Unitarian minister in Wayland, Massachusetts, in 1849.  It was a troubled time.  The California Gold Rush was creating excitement, but was also disrupting the lives of men and women caught [...]

Hymn Story In the Hour of Trial Hymn Lists by book of Bible This hymn was written by James Montgomery (1771-1854), who was born in Scotland of Irish parents.  His father, John Montgomery, was a Moravian pastor—apparently the only Moravian pastor serving in Scotland at the time. Montgomery's parents felt a call to serve as [...]