story behind featured hymn for this Sunday at Prescott
Tom Walsh
FEATURED HYMN FOR THIS SUNDAY
No. 618 How Firm a Foundation
Seldom do a hymn’s words and tune combine in such a felicitous and pleasing way as the words and music of this classic piece, a favorite of worshipping Christians for more than two centuries.
Surprisingly, neither the author nor the composer is known. Some clues to the authorship of the text — such as the letter “K” in some early printings — point to a choir director by the name of R. Keene, who served a Baptist church in London famous for its dissenters (as all Baptists once were) of influence. The hymn first appeared in a hymnal published by that church’s pastor in 1787.
The wonderful tune, with its firm, steady beat, arose from our region. First published in 1837, it was one of the sturdy folk tunes originating in the American South. Though the Civil War would divide churches North and South, they all sang this hymn. While its popularity crosses many denominational lines, it has been called “the unofficial hymn textbook for Baptist churches.”
This hymn was a favorite of many famous Americans, such as Tennessee’s own Andrew Jackson. He requested that it be sung at his bedside shortly before he died in his Nashville-area home, the Hermitage. The vigorous Theodore Roosevelt also loved it, undoubtedly thumping his foot as he sang.
As with many of the finest hymns, the text of this one is a sermon in verse. The first verse makes clear that in God’s Word we have a sure foundation for the Christian faith. Later verses admonish us not to be afraid and remind us that no matter how daunting the challenges we face, God will help us. God’s grace will suffice, and God will never, never abandon us. Never.
    
 www.fordharrison.com Thomas J. Walsh, Jr.
795 Ridge Lake Boulevard, Suite 300 Memphis, Tennessee 38120  |