Stories about Hymn
By Jon Phillip La Foy
storiesabouthymn@gmail.com
Stories about HymnFeb 07, 2021
Episode 27 - Come as You Are
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!
Episode 26 - A Rock of Shelter
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
Episode 25 - A Fateful Night
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
Episode 24 - Tears of Joy
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.
Episode 23 - Christ Stilling the Tempest
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.
Episode 22 - Interview with Randy Petersen
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!.
Episode 21 - God is Always Good
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.
Episode 20 - A Long, Cold Night
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.
Episode 19 - Christmas in July
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
Episode 18 - Three Stories, Two Men, One Song
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: www.potw.org/archive/potw340.html
Happy Fourth of July!
Episode 17 - Something to Sing About
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!
Episode 16 - One Thousand Years
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!
Episode 15 - Oh, Those Pearly Gates
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
Episode 14 - Day of Preparation
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!
Episode 13 - Struggle, Deliverance, Calm
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?
Episode 12 - Africa's Greatest, A Man with a Heart
Episode 11 - Endings Are Not Always Happy
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
Episode 10 - Raw and Grotesque
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.
Episode 9 - There are no Coincidences
Episode 8 - Blindness is a Gift
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.
Episode 7 - Words of Comfort
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.
Episode 6 - Dedication
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.
Episode 5 - Trusting in Sorrowful Times
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.
Episode 4 - A Shield of Faith
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.
Episode 3 - The Power of Music
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.
Episode 2 - A Not so Merry Christmas
A few days late, here is the next episode about one of my favorite Christmas carols, "I Head the Bells on Christmas Day."
Episode 1 - A Deceiving Tune
Episode 0 - Introduction
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.