Through The Hymnbook

Bert Jones: The chimes are ringing when morning gilds the sky, and I welcome you to the organ loft for the special program, Through the Hymnbook. Through the Hymnbook started back in the 1950s and has been a subsidiary of the radio ministry, A Visit with the Joneses.

In this edition of Through the Hymnbook, you are going to be hearing from a book entitled Worship and Praise. This was published back in 1931 by the Hope Publishing Company. You will find that as Reverend Bert Jones is playing, there will be many favorites that you will enjoy. So, we're glad that you stopped by, and we hope that one of your favorites will be included in this Worship and Praise.

Bert Jones: The Hope Publishing Company of Chicago, Illinois published a modest-sized book of about 300 songs, and it was called Worship and Praise. Song number three is "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee," a good song in a good book.

Bert Jones: When this book was sent to me by one of my radio listeners, Ruth Klotz of East Pembroke, New York, it had a familiar look to me. I remembered suddenly that it was used as the church hymnal in one of my father's country churches many years ago.

It's a good book. It has so many songs that are hard to find now. Here's one that has a great message: "Just When I Need Him Jesus Is Near." Just when I falter, just when I fear, ready to help me, ready to cheer, just when I need him most.

Bert Jones: The music says the words: Just when I need him most, just when I need him most. Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, just when I need him most.

Bert Jones: A great musical message from the year 1908 coming to you and to me this very hour. Turning across the pages in Worship and Praise, published in 1931, I come to page 48, and it's the hymn widely used today, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Oh God My Father."

I was sort of surprised. I had forgotten that it is as new as it is. It was just written in 1923. So, in this book from 1931, you see, it was a pretty new song, and possibly this was one of the first publications of the song, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Lord Unto Me."

Bert Jones: We are just pausing for a moment to let you know that you are enjoying Through the Hymnbook. In this edition, the late Reverend Bert Jones is playing from a book that is called Worship and Praise. It was published back in 1931 by the Hope Publishing Company, and it certainly includes so many beautiful songs.

We'd like to remind you that if you are enjoying Through the Hymnbook, be sure to take time to write Through the Hymnbook, Post Office Box 575, Erie, Pennsylvania, the zip code 16512, and let us know that these hymns are a blessing to you.

Bert Jones: A lovely setting of "For God So Loved The World" from 1920. The verse begins: A story sweet and wondrous like heavenly music swells in chiming clear to all who will hear, ring out the Gospel bells.

Then comes the quotation: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Since it talks about the Gospel bells and the church, I shall play it on the chimes.

Bert Jones: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, should not perish but have everlasting life.

Bert Jones: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Bert Jones: A lovely song from 1907 comes next. It's called "Who Will Our Pilot Be?" We sail along to the harbor light over the great life sea. The breakers roar and the waves dash high, and who will our pilot be?

We sail along. There are shoals, they say, dangers from which to flee. We face the storms with a heavy heart. Who will our pilot be? And the answer comes: The Christ will our pilot be, a wonderful guide is He. So we'll sail, sail, sail, sail; Christ will our pilot be.

Bert Jones: We sail along. There are shoals, they say, dangers from which to flee. We face the storms with a heavy heart. Who will our pilot be? And the answer comes: The Christ will our pilot be, a wonderful guide is He. So we'll sail, sail, sail, sail; Christ will our pilot be.

Bert Jones: A beautiful song written long years ago by W.C. Poole, who was a Methodist minister. Music by his friend B.D. Ackley, it's called "Sunrise." Mr. Poole was inspired to write this when, at retirement time at Methodist conference, everyone was talking about the sunset of life.

He preferred to look beyond the sunset here and see the sunrise over there. So he wrote: When I shall come to the end of my way, when I shall rest at the close of life's day, when welcome home I shall hear Jesus say, Oh that will be sunrise for me.

Bert Jones: Sunrise tomorrow, sunrise tomorrow, sunrise in glory is waiting for me.

Bert Jones: I could just continue playing song after song in this book, which was a songbook in one of my father's churches when I was a little boy and was just starting to take piano lessons. I guess I made my way through this hymnbook many times. Here is a great militant song, music by Ira D. Sankey: "Faith Is The Victory That Overcomes The World."

Bert Jones: Here is a song that is very seldom found now. It is a musical setting of the poem by the American poet Sidney Lanier. It was copyrighted first in 1884 by Mary D. Lanier, and the music was written by Peter C. Lutkin. It describes an experience in the life of Christ. Listen to it.

Bert Jones: Into the woods my Master went, clean forspent, forspent. Into the woods my Master came, forspent with love and shame. But the olives, they were not blind to him, the little gray leaves were kind to him. The thorn tree had a mind to him when into the woods he came.

Bert Jones: Of course, in this poem, he's thinking of the woods as the lovely Garden of Gethsemane. Out of the woods my Master went, and he was well content. Out of the woods my Master came, content with death and shame.

When death and shame would woo him last, from under the trees they drew him last. It was on a tree they slew him last when out of the woods he came. It seems that an English horn or an oboe would take this solo very effectively.

Bert Jones: That poem, of course, without the music, is found in many books of English literature. Here is a great song. I enjoy this so much, and especially the chorus is so fitting. It was copyrighted in 1925, and I play the chorus for you now. "Prayer Changes Things."

No matter how heavy the burden you bear, if you cast it on Jesus, He'll carry you there. And nothing can hinder the soul that will dare, for prayer changes things.

Bert Jones: Prayer changes things. Prayer changes things. No matter how heavy the burden you bear, if you cast it on Jesus, He'll carry your care, and nothing can hinder the soul that will dare, for prayer changes things.

Bert Jones: It is a special joy to have had you in the organ loft for this edition of Through the Hymnbook. Besides writing to Box 575, Erie, Pennsylvania, which we would be happy to have you do, you may also write to the email address for Through the Hymnbook. The email address is organhymns@aol.com. Thanks for being here, and keep singing.