What comes to your mind when you think of hymns? Stuffy songs? Old English lyrics? Dusty hymnals? It’s easy to put these songs in the category of “no longer relevant.” But when we step back and look at the stories behind them we actually find enduring relevance. When we remember that context and sing those lyrics we connect ourselves to centuries of worship.
In Hymns of Note, William Long takes 29 hymns and gives us that context. Each devotional looks at the stories and scriptures that inspired these lasting hymns. We may be hundreds, even thousands of years removed from these stories, but they aren’t that different from ours. And the God they encountered never changes. Hymns of Note will stir your heart and inspire you to join in generations of praise. As I read through the stories and thought about the lyrics I started singing many, if not most, of the hymns in this little book.
As I sang and hummed through the pages of this book, I felt as though I was walking down memory lane. But it was more than simply a nostalgic feeling. These songs reminded me of how enduring our faith is. Many of these lyrics were written in suffering, heartache, and even persecution. And still, our faith remains. Christ is the solid rock on which we stand.
Hymns of Note would be a fantastic tool to aid any believer’s personal or family devotions. If you teach or preach regularly, it would serve as a gold mine of illustrations that will help those you teach connect timeless truths to their lives. You can get a copy of it here. 1 I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.