Noteworthy Blog

Another one of the great hymns of our day and days past! Great Is Thy Faithfulness was first published in 1923. The poem was written by Thomas Chisholm and later the words were set to music written by William Runyan. I’ll get to this song’s path to popularity a little later on, but before that we need to understand more about the poem that is the basis for the song and it’s meaning to the writer. Chisholm was born and raised in Franklin Kentucky. He became a schoolteacher at the age of 16 and taught at the one-room school he was brought up in. In his 20s he became an editor for the local newspaper and later became a Christian at age 27. Ten years later he became an ordained Methodist pastor, but was only able to serve one year due to poor health. He later found his way to New Jersey with his family and spent the rest of his life there. Because of Chisholm’s health issue, he was not able to earn much of a financial living despite his obvious talents and strong work ethic. About this par

This is an old favorite of mine. Come Thou Fount was originally published in 1758 and has since found it’s way into over 2,100 hymnals. It was written by Robert Robinson soon after his conversion, in the early years of his preaching ministry. Having grown up without a father, he went to work as a barber apprentice as soon as he was of age. As such, he became the primary breadwinner for his family. But, all that pressure and lack of guidance had an adverse effect, and he joined a London gang. For the next few years, he lived a hard life. But God had redemption in mind and brought Robert out of his rough life and inspired him to write this song. 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 God’s unchanging love! Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good p

CityAlight is one of my favorite song writing groups. This one from their 2016 “Only A Holy God” album is a sweet reminder of the blessed assurance we have in Christ.   This one hits closer to home for me as I reflect on what’s been going on in my life over the last few months, even years. For so many people, struggle has been a big part of life. Unpleasant circumstances and hardships of any kind equate to a test of faith for believers. And often it works out that the faith we have, whether big or small, does not rescue us from the circumstance but rather changes our view of the struggle and the power we give it over our lives.   In Hebrews 10:19-23, the writer tells us that through Christ, we can have confidence in our faith. As he writes it, we can “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith”. He’s talking about the fact that we can draw near to God’s presence because of the atoning and cleansing work of Christ on the cross. If we have access to the

First published in 1775, “Rock of Ages” remains a classic hymn today. In author Augustus Montague Toplady’s short life due to tuberculosis at the age of 38, he devoted most of it to the ministry. When the first stanza was published in October of 1775 in “The Gospel Magazine” (amazingly founded in 1766 and still in print today), it was part of a larger article entitled “Life A Journey.” Within the article, he wrote, “Yet if you fall, be humbled; but do not despair.  Pray afresh to God who is able raise you up, and to set you on your feet again. Look to the blood of the covenant; and say to the Lord, from the depth of your heart; Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee! Foul I to the fountain fly; wash me, savior, or I die! ” In March of 1776, the full hymn was published in the same magazine. That included the four stanzas we’re familiar with today, along with a few minor edits along the way. The article in which it was printed, penned by Toplady, begins with a question. “