Through The Hymnbook

Reverend Bert Jones: Oh, the happy chimes are ringing and we welcome you to the organ loft to enjoy some special organ music by Reverend Bert Jones. Now, even though Bert is with the Lord, I want you to remember that we have these wonderful recordings of his music. And you know, he wasn't spinning records, he was actually playing for his radio family. And usually, he would always make up the arrangements on the spur of the moment.

Well, this is a very interesting edition of Through The Hymnbook in which he went through several hymnbooks looking for titles which were places. Now, you might be able to think of some, and the very first one that he's going to begin with is The Holy City, or what we might call the New Jerusalem. It's a favorite of so many, and the title is a place: The Holy City.

Actually, that great anthem of the church refers first to the Old Jerusalem and then to the New Jerusalem. No wonder it's called the Holy City, based on the passages of scripture which we find in Revelation. Looking for song titles which refer to a place.

Here's a lovely old hymn that refers to Jerusalem the Golden, but actually talking more about heaven, the New Jerusalem.

A favorite song about a favorite place, on a hill far away stood an old rugged cross. And it's the Old Rugged Cross, going through the hymnbook looking for songs which speak of a place.

And since that spoke of Calvary, on a hill far away, here's another song. It also is a great anthem of the church, one of the great classics by Paul Rodney, called Calvary. Rest, rest for the weary. As you hear Jesus say from Calvary, come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

And here's a favorite song. It refers to a place, Beyond the Sunset. Now, the actual place where the sunset was seen was at Winona Lake, Indiana, when Virgil Brock and his wife, Blanche Kerr Brock, were seeing a beautiful, beautiful sunset. They were reminded of heaven and home and the beauties of that heavenly city.

And so they wrote the song Beyond the Sunset, thinking of the heavenly home that beyond the sunset of life here, it's sunrise over there with our Savior. Always lots of requests for Beyond the Sunset.

And here's an old-timer as we go through the hymnbook looking for titles which refer to places. This also refers to heaven as it says, oh think of the home over there. Over there, over there, think of the home over there.

This may not be familiar to some of you new-timers, but to all of us of an older generation, it was a very well-known song. When I was a little boy, almost every funeral had this song. At every funeral, think of the home over there, over there.

Think of that home over there. Good to think of heaven and home. All right, leafing through this hymnbook looking for songs that refer to places. And here's one, it refers to an actual place, a town called Bethlehem, and the song is called O Little Town of Bethlehem. Of all things, why didn't we think of that sooner?

It's Through The Hymnbook, heard every week at this time. Be sure to let the radio station know you enjoy it, or let me know, as I donate my time to planning and preparing Through The Hymnbook. It's always nice to know it's a blessing to you. Write to me in care of the radio station or directly: Bert Jones, B-E-R-T J-O-N-E-S, box 575, Erie, Pennsylvania, 16512. It really would be nice to hear from you.

And here's another great Christmas hymn that refers to Bethlehem, Once in Royal David's City. Beside the still waters, he leadeth me beside the still waters. And of course, it's a beautiful, beautiful song.

And as I hear the rippling still waters, I'm reminded of a song written by a pastor in Brooklyn, New York, Robert Lowry, who wrote the song Shall We Gather at the River, referring to the river of life, heaven and home. And with this song, we have to close the hymnbook for another time.