Product Description

From generation to generation, Christianity is passed down not only through words that are spoken but also through words that are sung. The church's life and vitality has often been profoundly shaped by the great hymns of the faith.

But there is more to hymns than classic melodies and stately lyrics. Embodied and preserved in our hymns are the key doctrines of Christian belief. When we think of God's character and attributes, we speak of him as a mighty fortress, a bulwark never failing. When we consider his goodness to us, we remember that great is his faithfulness. And when we think of God's life-transforming power, we sing of amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

Musician Richard Allen Farmer explores the messages of twenty-five of the greatest hymns of the Christian faith. With careful exposition and thoughtful reflection, he shows how biblical truths are encapsulated in a hymn's lyrics, stanza by stanza or even in a single line of a single verse. His consideration of familiar texts uncovers fresh meaning and new significance for the Christian journey.

Rediscover the profound insights of Christian hymnody. You will never sing these hymns the same way again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1790717 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 180 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Nearly everyone has heard the story of John Newton, a slave trader who, in the midst of a furious storm at sea, called out for mercy to a God he didn't really believe in. Convinced by his own survival, he converted, became a celebrated preacher and wrote Christendom's most famous hymn, "Amazing Grace." Tales like this populate a host of recently published hymn-story books. These volumes are plain in diction and pious in tone-not theologically deep, but not harmful, either: chicken soup for the church musician's soul. This book fits right into the genre. A pastor and musician, Farmer looks at 25 spiritually nourishing hymns to explore their meaning for the Christian journey. Each three- to four-page essay contains, in a homiletic style, some exposition of the hymn text, a bit of background information, a few illustrative stories and other supporting material. Sometimes Farmer offers helpful information or insights-for example, a nice explanatory turn on the word "Ebenezer" raised in the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." But given the theological depth and complexity of these hymn texts (including standards such as "A Mighty Fortress," "How Firm a Foundation" and "For All the Saints"), the simplicity of his treatments is somewhat disappointing. Sometimes he tackles only a small portion of the text, and sometimes the hymn is simply the jumping-off point for what feels like a practiced spiel. Still, one could do far worse, devotionally, than to start with these well-chosen hymns, read Farmer's commentary and then return to the hymns themselves.
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About the Author
Richard Allen Farmer is a classically trained pianist, concert artist and Bible expositor whose itinerant music and preaching ministry has taken him to hundreds of churches and dozens of countries. Prior to his present ministry he served as a senior pastor and as dean of the chapel at Gordon College and Taylor University. He is also a certified scuba diver and licensed pilot. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife and son.

Customer Reviews

How Sweet the Sound Book
Richard Allen Farmer researched and wrote a great book. He gave the background and new insights about some of our oldest and beloved hymns. It gave me new meaning to old hymns and made me appreciate the authors and composers. The hymns are more than just words now. I liked this book so much that I bought a second one and gave to our worship leader/pastor.

Want to trade?
Farmer, unlike most good pastors I've ever heard and read, writes as well as he preaches. Book efforts by pastors are usually not nearly as good as their preaching. The difference with Farmer is that I can hear his preaching style in his writing, something that doesn't come through as clearly in the writings of most pastors.

For what it's worth, Farmer has the advantage of being a very good musician as well as a pastor; perhaps that matters in writing style?

In any case, Farmer's book takes the rare doctrinal view of many well known hymns, instead of the typical "hymn stories" approach that just tells who, when, and how the hymn was written, without examining the theology and meaning. Farmer here draws the doctrines from the lyrics, and they are deeply spiritual and scriptural.

The highlight is Farmer's example defining the doctrine of the third stanza of the great Christian hymn "It is Well" ("My sin--oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!, my sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to his cross, and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!"):

I have imagined a scenario in which I am standing beneath the cross, looking up at Jesus.

"You're perfect," I say.
He says "Yes, I am."
"I'm not, am I?" I say.
He says, "No, you're not."
I say, "The Father is pleased with you, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is very pleased with me," he replies.
"You are full of righteousness, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am."
"And I am not, am I?"
"No, son, but you can be."
"But I'm full of sin."
"I know."

Then he looks at me and, with a twinkle in his eye and love in his heart, he says, "Want to trade?"

I look at him and, knowing he is serious, lay on him all my sin. He lays on me his righteousness. He who knew no sin became sin for me, so that I could know the righteousness of God the Father.