Wonderfully worshipful! This book, Then Sings My Soul, Special Edition by Robert J. Morgan contains the words and music to 150 Christian hymns, as well as a brief history of each hymn. Most of the selected hymns are familiar to life-long church-goers (at least, to those over thirty years old....).
As a member of a medium sized church, I fully enjoy the choruses we generally sing each week. However, I've greatly missed the hymns of my childhood and after reading (and singing!) Morgan's book, I've realized why. Without telling me so, Morgan portrays the rich heritage and history we, as Christians, have in hymns! As I read of the origins of some beloved songs of faith, I realized that my "fathers" have been singing some of these songs for hundreds of years before me! The words of these very songs, that so encourage me and build my worship, did the same for the men and women in generations before me! I loved reading about how God impressed certain songs into the minds of their authors, so that the words flowed into a beautiful pattern without so much as an ounce of effort by the writer! I enjoyed the testimonies written biographically by Morgan of some writers--their conversions and growth in Christ. And, most of all, I love that I fell more and more in love with my Savior as I not only read the origins of each song, but spent hours singing and praising Him as I read through this wonderful worship book! (However, it did take quite a bit longer for me to read this book since the four stanza hymns take a while to sing!)
I am not a "music" person as far as talent goes, but I do love music. This book made me long for the great songs of faith and heritage of my childhood. I believe, now, that we've lost something in "giving up" these songs for the newer, more modern choruses. I think I'll pass this book on to our worship leader at church and request page number 244 (Faith of our Fathers)!
Thanks, Thomas Nelson, for sending this book to me for free--it was a joy to read it!
