Singing through the Hymnal: week 45!

Verse: Psalm 95:1

Hymn: Rock of Ages


                Like last week, we are continuing with our theme of petition. This is that hymn that seems to be sung in every church service in every old movie. Unfortunately, it always sounds so ... well, you know ... bleh. Please don't let those movies ruin this hymn for you! The text is beautiful and deep and so accurately depicts what we can't do and what Jesus has done for us! This is also a great hymn to sing after our Reformation Celebration - the second stanza says: "Thou must save and Thou alone."

• Here is a link to a newer tune that I have also sung with this text - James Ward
• Here is the link to the Sovereign Grace tune

         
                                                                  Fun Facts

Text: Augustus M. Toplady (1740-1778)

• Left the anglican church (was a priest) to become reformed and preach in the French Calvinist Church
• Augustus was caught in a storm surrounded by rocks. He took shelter in the crevice of a limestone rock and wrote the words to this hymn. 
• He included it in a hymnal called Psalms and Hymns (1776)
• Toplady became very ill from consumption and when he was told that his pulse was weakening by the day, he replied, "Why, that is a good sign that my death is fast approaching; and, blessed be God, I can add that my heart beats stronger and stronger every day for glory."

Tune: Thomas Hastings (1784-1872)

• grew up a farm boy in New England
• He was a music teacher and wrote over 1,000 hymn tunes and 600 texts. 
• He named this tune TOPLADY after the hymn writer

To Think About....

• Imagine a big storm. What would you try do to? Find shelter - but even earthly shelter can't protect us perfectly. Explain to your children that we are in the worst of storms - the storm of sin and being deserving of God's wrath and holy justice. There is nothing that can save us from the wrath of God except for Jesus. God sees Jesus' righteousness instead of my sin. Only clinging to the cross of Jesus will dress us in Christ's righteousness. Jesus is the Rock for all the ages (eras). In Him, we find refuge. We find hope. We find peace. 
• Talk to your children about how "rock" in the Bible refers to God or His words. 
• This hymn merges the image of 2 different rocks: 1. Exodus 33:22 where God hid Moses in its cleft. 2. Exodus 17:6 where Moses strikes the rock and water pours out of it - this points to Jesus' blood spilt for us (which is an excellent example of pointing to the Gospel even in each Old Testament story). 

Just a preview of songs for the week of Thanksgiving if you want to start looking them up and singing them.

• Now Thank We all Our God
• Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
• For the Beauty of the Earth
• Let all Things Now Living
• My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness
• We Gather Together

Remember to order you copy of the hymnal we are singing through if you still need a hymnal!