Sunday Hymn
Thy Mercy
Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.
Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.
Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.
The words of this hymn were written by John Stocker in 1776. I first heard it on the CD "In the Company of Angels" (2001) by Caedmon's Call. Sandra McCracken, the wife of one of the members of Caedmon's Call, wrote the music that accompanies the hymn on the CD. I have no idea what sort of tune this hymn was sung to when it first appeared, but the updated music fits the song perfectly.
Caedmon's Call, along with other Christian bands such as Jars of Clay ("Redemption Songs"), has quite effectively updated certain hymns. World Magazine gave "Redemption Songs" a solid review this past summer. Though much of what fills the book and music sections at a typical Christian bookstore is merely overrated fluff, I'd highly recommend "Redemption Songs" as well as "In the Company of Angels."
Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.
Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.
Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.
The words of this hymn were written by John Stocker in 1776. I first heard it on the CD "In the Company of Angels" (2001) by Caedmon's Call. Sandra McCracken, the wife of one of the members of Caedmon's Call, wrote the music that accompanies the hymn on the CD. I have no idea what sort of tune this hymn was sung to when it first appeared, but the updated music fits the song perfectly.
Caedmon's Call, along with other Christian bands such as Jars of Clay ("Redemption Songs"), has quite effectively updated certain hymns. World Magazine gave "Redemption Songs" a solid review this past summer. Though much of what fills the book and music sections at a typical Christian bookstore is merely overrated fluff, I'd highly recommend "Redemption Songs" as well as "In the Company of Angels."
posted by Andrea at 8:06 AM
4 Comments:
Sandra has a new hymns CD out, which includes her version of "Thy Mercy." You can hear clips at http://www.igracemusic.com/sandrahymns
That CD looks great -- will it be available through Amazon or other retailers? I couldn't find it on Amazon today.
And I found your CD, as well as the other Indelible Grace recordings, which, for some reason, I've never come across before. I'm quite glad to learn of these. Thanks!
Regarding Sandra McCracken, she is good friends/musical collaborators with Katy Bowser, who went to college with one of my good friends, who told me about Katy's music. Check out her cd's Laryngitis and Longing: http://www.pastestore.com/artist/10339
It'll be available on Amazon soon, but it will be cheaper from the site I listed.
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