God's Growing Garden: Old Fashioned Sunday Hymn Sing#21

I miss the old hymns that I remember from my childhood - there were no drums, no electric guitar and no mind numbing beat. It was just voices and maybe a piano or an organ. The choir led the congregation in singing - and the words of these hymns are poetic. I realize that there is a need for the modern "seeker oriented" worship music - but it is also necessary to have deeper songs (no offense intended to anyone who prefers the newer church songs).

I decided to have an "Old Fashion Sunday Hymn Sing" once a month on this blog.

I personally do NOT have a great singing voice - I used to play the guitar & piano but my voice is NOT an instrument. That's the great thing about this digital hymn sing, you can warble along without being embarrassed or without offending anyone else.

The hymns that we will be studying are taken from an old hymnal from a Baptist church that is no longer in existence - "The North American Hymnal" published in 1956 by "THE ROGER WILLIAMS PRESS"

I will also try to find a version of the featured hymn on "YouTube" to share with you each month.

Since we just celebrated Independence Day a couple days ago I thought it would be a perfect time to feature "O Beautiful for Spacious Skies" written by Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) & composed by Samuel A. Ward (1847-1903). This was originally a poem later merged with music. Katharine Lee Bates lost her dad when she was only 1 month old. She later became a professor at Wellesley College.

I have included 2 YouTube videos of this lovely song - please take the time to listen to both - the second video is a very unique acapella version

Turn with me to number 519 in your hymnals and let's sing:

O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

by Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) & composed by Samuel A. Ward (1847-1903).

1. O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.

2. O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whoose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self control, Thy liberty in law.

3. O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine.

4. O beautiful for patriot dream That sees, beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.

A special thanks to "Deseret Book" for sharing this with us!

A special thanks to "Julien Neel" for posting this on YouTube

Other Hymns on this blog:
We Plow the Fields & Scatter
Have Thine Own Way Lord!
Lead Me To Calvary
He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought
O God Our Help in Ages Past
I Need Thee Every Hour
Blest Be the Tie That Binds
When the Roll is Called Up Yonder

Nearer, My God To Thee
It Is Well With My Soul

Count Your Blessings

Copyright, Permissions& Disclaimer