Hymn Story Christ the Lord Is Risen Today Hymn lists by book of Bible Charles Wesley wrote this hymn in 1739, less than a year after his Aldersgate conversion.  It was first sung in the Foundry Meeting House, an old iron foundry in London that Wesley converted to religious purposes. Wesley's original version had [...]

Hymn Story Beneath the Cross of Jesus Hymn Lists by book of Bible Elizabeth Clephane was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1830 and lived most of her life in the village of Melrose.  Her father was the county sheriff.  She was a woman acquainted with grief, but never let that stop her.  Her parents [...]

Hymn Story Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation Hymn lists by book of Bible This hymn is often used during services for the dedication of church buildings, but it has nothing to do with churches built of brick and stone.  It talks instead about "the Church," which is built of flesh and bone.  The [...]

Hymn Story Christ for the World We Sing Hymn lists by book of Bible Samuel Wolcott was the pastor of the Plymouth Congregational Church in Cleveland, Ohio when the local branch of the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) asked to hold a meeting in his sanctuary.  Wolcott not only agreed to allow their meeting, [...]

Hymn Story Children of the Heavenly Father Hymn lists by book of Bible Lina Sandell, the author of this hymn, was a Lutheran pastor's daughter in Froderyd, Sweden.  She was a "daddy's girl"––very close to her father.  As a child, she enjoyed playing quietly in her father's study as he worked. Lina began writing [...]

Hymn Story Be Thou My Vision Hymn Lists by book of Bible The hymn, "Be Thou My Vision," has its origins almost fifteen hundred years ago in Ireland.  We believe that it was written by the sixth century Irish poet, Dallán Forgaill, also known as St. Dallán. Monks chanted his poetry, and someone much [...]

Hymn Story Be Still My Soul Hymn Lists by book of Bible Often, in the midst of suffering, people look up and see the face of God.  That was true for Katharina von Schlegel, a Lutheran woman in Germany a century after Luther began the Reformation there.  Movements born in great passion often deteriorate over [...]

Hymn Story Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread 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 [...]