13 thoughts on “Grand Old Hymns”

  2. I actually love these hymns (especially this one – one of my favorites!) far *more* as a non-fundamentalist than I ever did as a fundamentalist. Granted there are some hymns that make me shudder because of their ties to certain aspects of fundamentalist theology (Garlock, anyone?), but others, like this one, I actually appreciate far more now than I ever did growing up.

  3. Agreed, Amanda. One of the early things that began my disillusionment with fundamentalism was the shift in my church’s hymnals from a collection of old hymns (Watts, Wesley, etc.) to one stuffed to the gills with Garlock, Hamilton, and Mac Lynch. Not cool. Guys like Isaac Watts were infinitely more skilled poets then these johnny-come-latelys.

  6. This song is one of my favorites….. In my mind it ranks side by side with “Amazing Grace”. I love the third verse because it vividly takes me back to when I discovered God.

    “Thine eye diffused a quickening ray –
    I woke the dungeon flamed with light
    My chains fell off, my heart was free,
    I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.”

    A chill goes up and down my spine every time I sing/ hear these words.
    It was a great disappointment that the song leader in the fundy church skipped this verse about 95% of the time. Thanks for posting this song.

  7. Def. agree. These types of hymns still move me, but the southern gospel tripe sung in my parents’ church makes me want to barf.

  8. This is by Charles Wesley, c. 1738, so it is Anglican/Methodist in origin. First hymn I memorized after my own conversion. There is nothing fundy about it.

  10. Did you know you can sing the lyrics of “Amazing Grace” to the tune of the Gilligan’s Island theme song? Try it!

  12. i grew up methodist. “and can it be” is the methodist national anthem. unfortunately i hear that some catholics are starting to sing it… that makes it suspicious since all good christians (ie fundies) believe that *anything* accepted by catholics cannot be of god…

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