Hymn Stories: Musical Echoes of Personal Journeys
Music, I think, is wonderfully able to capture the very deepest of emotions and experiences. Hymns, particularly, can have rich backstories that reflect their writers’ personal journeys. In my exploration of hymn stories, I’ll share the remarkable tales behind five of our most-loved hymns…
Hymn Stories Uncovered
These hymn stories pull back the curtain on the lives of their writers; each gaining their inspiration from their often dramatic personal circumstances. It’s fascinating to discover how their trials, faith, and redemption have been embedded in the words of these timeless hymns.
“Amazing Grace” by John Newton
Amazing Grace is more than just a hymn; it’s a narrative of personal transformation and hope. As hymn stories go, John Newton’s is one of dramatic twists: from captaining a slave ship, via a near-death experience at sea, to renouncing his former life and becoming an influential advocate against slavery. He wrote Amazing Grace in 1772. Its words reflect his journey from despair to finding redemption. What a testament to both our human capacity for personal change and to the transformative power of faith and forgiveness!
(My free easy piano tutorial for Amazing Grace is on this page)
“It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio Spafford
It Is Well With My Soul has unimaginably tragic origins. Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer and businessman, whose hymn story began with powerful tests of his faith. He lost his son to pneumonia, and then he lost his finances to the Great Chicago Fire. Worse was to come: he tragically lost his four daughters, who died in a shipwreck. Writing this hymn as he travelled by sea to comfort his wife, he found (I cannot imagine how) the faith, peace and tranquility to write “When peace like a river, attendeth my way… It is well with my soul.” Astounding!
“Rock of Ages” by Augustus Montague Toplady
Rock of Ages comes from a tale of tempest – both theological and meteorological! Augustus Toplady was a clergyman who suffered an enormous upheaval of his beliefs, as Calvinism began to be threatened by Arminianism in his beloved Church of England. The story of his literal storm might be truth or legend. It is said that he became trapped in bad weather in the Mendip Hills. The tale tells how he found shelter in a gap in a gorge, where he was struck by the metaphor of finding safety in God amidst life’s tumultuous storms. Whilst his backstory lacks some of the depth – and possibly accuracy – of Newton and Spafford’s hymn stories, it can nonetheless be unnerving to be trapped in bad weather… and much more so to feel threatened and battered by life’s relentless challenges! It’s certainly a reminder of the need to turn to prayer at times of difficulty.
“Jesu Lover of My Soul” by Charles Wesley
Jesu Lover of My Soul also emerged from a context of personal distress and theological debate. However, unlike Toplady, Charles Wesley was a prominent Arminian! It’s said that Wesley wrote this hymn following a harrowing incident where he was pursued by a hostile mob, from whom he eventually found safe shelter. “Let me to Thy bosom fly…” reflects a longing to move beyond the storms of theological debate and find sanctuary and solace only in God’s protection. I’m sure we can all identify with a desire for comfort and refuge when life gets too complicated or overwhelming!
(My free easy piano tutorial for Jesu Lover of My Soul is on this page)
“Abide With Me” by Henry Francis Lyte
Abide With Me is a deeply emotional hymn. It unfolds from what is perhaps one of the most moving hymn stories: that of the shadows of extended personal suffering and impending death. Henry Francis Lyte battled tuberculosis for years, and wrote this hymn as a poignant farewell to this world. Addressing his mortality, his words express profound comfort in the steadfast presence of God. Unlike “Rock of Ages” with its storms of life, and “Jesus Lover of My Soul” with its danger and distress, this hymn resonates with a tranquil acceptance and a deep longing for eternal companionship. Yet like them, it echoes their central theme of finding solace and redemption in faith. I am reminded that, whatever we believe, we all face death. My hymn story is, “I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.” How about you?
(My free easy piano tutorial for Abide WIth Me is on this page)
The Lasting Legacy of Hymn Stories
This brief journey through such poignant hymn stories unearths unique blends of personal narrative and spiritual reflection. Whether born out of tragedy, peril, theological contemplation, or the quiet approach of death – the words of these writers continue to inspire and comfort millions around the world. They remind us of the power of faith to provide solace and strength, regardless of our circumstances. And – most importantly – they challenge us to consider our own story.
Hymn Stories v. My Story
Despite some medical challenges in my life, I haven’t (yet) encountered anything nearly as earth-shattering as Newton, Spafford or Lyte. Would my Christian faith cause me to respond as robustly if I did? Probably not. I admire (though sometimes with a dubious eye) those who seem able to feel so sure about things they cannot actually be so certain about. I have concluded that ultimately we are all – believers and unbelievers alike – actually agnostic in reality. (Argue that one with me if you like. But be ready.)
Notwithstanding my meagre (some would say insufficient) faith, I continue to sing the words of these great hymns, and wonder at the hymn stories behind them. Another hymnist, Sadhu Sundar Singh, famously wrote I have decided to follow Jesus. Despite all the pragmatism, skepticism, iconoclasm and Pascal’s-Wager-ism of my personal brand of square-peg-in-a-round-hole Christian faith (figure that mess out), I remain utterly convinced that following Jesus is the right thing to do. So I will continue.