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1. Songs of thankfulness and praise, 2. Manifest at Jordan’s stream, 3. Manifest in making whole Composer: Jakob Hintze, 1687; Harm. Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 Includes Wide Format PowerPoint file! Songs of thankfulness and praise, Manifest at Jordan’s stream, Manifest in making whole Sun and moon shall darkened be, Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”—1 Thessalonians 5:18–18 In Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica, thankfulness rounds out the three postures that God desires from us. Along with joyfulness and prayerfulness, a sense of gratitude shields our hearts from the doubt and cynicism that arises from life’s everyday struggles. Here are ten worship songs about gratitude to add to your worship services through your church presentation software that will encourage thankfulness in your church. Hymns About Thankfulness1. Praise to the Lord the Almighty by Joachim NeanderThis hymn first surfaced in 1680, written by reformed teacher and theologian, Joachim Neander. Neander, who wrote approximately 60 hymns, died from tuberculosis at the age of thirty. “Praise to the Lord the Almighty” was translated into English nearly 300 years later by Catherine Winkworth, whose translation work had a significant impact on 19th-century hymnody. Everything about this classic hymn lifts the attention and spirits of worshipers upward. It reminds us of his amazing attributes, and his individual attention and care. It sports a melody that’s both anthemic and beautiful. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of
creation! Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth, Praise to the Lord, who
doth prosper thy work and defend thee; Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging, 2. To God Be the Glory by Fanny CrosbyIf you’ve ever sung hymns in church, you’re likely familiar with Fanny Crosby. She’s probably written more hymns in the 20th century than any other non-liturgical hymn writer. What makes “To God Be the Glory” unique among Crosby’s writings is that it is entirely about God and his majesty, unlike a majority of her other hymns which tend to focus on our experience of God. Christian thanksgiving is about recognizing and responding to God’s perfect qualities. This hymn offers a great call and response between who God is and the praise that bubbles up as a natural response. To God be the glory, great things he has done; Praise the Lord, praise the Lord; let the earth hear his voice! O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, Great things he has taught us, great things he has done, 3. How Great Thou Art by Carl BobergCarl Boberg was a member of the Swedish parliament in 1885. He and some friends had attended an afternoon service on a spring day in Kronobäck, and on their walk home, a thunderstorm tore through the valley. They rushed to find shelter and watched the winds howl, the thunder roar, and the lightning flash in the darkened afternoon sky. The storm quickly passed and was immediately replaced with a resplendent rainbow. Carl returned home and wrote the poem “O Store Gud” (How Great Thou Art). Nothing really became of the nine-verse poem until three years later when someone liked it enough to match it to a traditional Swedish melody. When Boberg heard it, he published the hymn along with the melody and it became a church staple sung around the world. When it comes to generating a thankful spirit, “How Great Thou Art” is masterful. It builds perfectly from a verse about God’s majesty into a verse about God’s mercy, and finally, into a powerful passage about his imminent return. Oh Lord my God Then sings my soul And when I think of God, When Christ shall come 4. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross by Isaac WattsLegend has it that a young Isaac Watts was complaining to his father about the hymns being sung in church. They tended to by metered renditions of the Psalms sung by a cantor and then repeated unenthusiastically by the congregation. Watts’ father dismissed him, “I’d like to see you write something better.” Several hours later, Watts came out of his room having written his first hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” Originally intended as a song for celebrating communion, it has become a powerful Lenten reflection inspiring genuine and heartfelt praise and worship, in regards to the work done on Calvary. When I survey the wondrous cross Forbid it, Lord, that
I should boast See, from his head, his hands, his feet, Were the whole realm of nature mine, Worship Songs About Thankfulness5. There Is a Redeemer by Melody GreenBefore she met her husband, Melody Green has looked in a lot of places for the truth. She had tried Buddhism and embraced the drug culture of the late sixties. When she met Keith Green in 1972, she suddenly had a partner in her search for meaning. They both found what they were looking for in a 1975 Bible study. Keith became one of the fathers of contemporary Christian music, but it was Melody that penned one of his most recognizable songs. Appearing in more than 21 hymnals, “There Is a Redeemer” is a simple tune that portrays Christ as God’s ultimate gift. Each verse returns to an effective chorus of gratitude, “Thank you, oh my father . . .” There is a redeemer Jesus my redeemer Thank you, oh my father 6. Give Thanks by Henry SmithHenry Smith had recently graduated from college and struggled to find work. He penned this song at home as a reminder to himself. He performed it at church with his wife a couple of times, but didn’t really think anything of it. It turns out that one of those Sundays there was a military couple who took the song back to Germany with them. Without Smith’s knowledge, the song began to take off. Eight years later a friend of his played him a cassette tape. “See if you recognize this,” he said. After a couple of moments, Smith yelled, “Hey! I wrote that song!” It has become one of the most popular thanksgiving Christian songs in the church’s repertoire. Give thanks with a grateful heart And now let the weak say, “I am strong” 7. Forever by Chris TomlinChurches all over the world sing Chris Tomlin’s songs. “Forever” has become one of his modern classics. Built on a very simple premise, Tomlin calls worshipers to give thanks to God because of his love which is never-ending. This well-known worship song will be great to add to your church presentation software on Sunday mornings. Give thanks to the Lord our God and King Sing praise, sing praise 8. My Savior, My God by Aaron ShustOne of the greatest attributes of “My Savior, My God” is that it engenders gratefulness without explicitly encouraging it. It’s a reflective look at our human limitations and God’s vast goodness. The words come from an 1873 hymn by Dorothy Greenwell with a chorus skillfully added by Shust. I am not skilled to understand I take him at his word
and deed That he would leave his place on high Before I knew my Savior 9. Once Again by Matt RedmanMatt Redman’s “Once Again” was released during the worship boom of the late ’90s and was an overnight sensation. Churches were instantly drawn into this prayerful and intimate song about the cross. By the time worshipers sing the sparse, repeated bridge “thank you for the cross, my friend,” they’ve verbally recognized the suffering that was endured for their sake. It plays out like some of the greatest love songs ever, and it’s an effective song of thankfulness sung to Jesus, the friend of sinners. Someone so kind and generous that he would die for us. Jesus Christ, I think upon your sacrifice I’m in that place once again And once again I look upon the cross where you died 10. 10,000 Reasons by Matt RedmanRedman told Worship Leader Magazine about writing this popular song with his songwriting partner, Jonas Myrin “He played me an idea for some of the chorus melody, and I found it immediately inspiring. In fact, it felt like a perfect fit for a song based on the opening of Psalm 103. The song came together really quickly—a good chunk of the song was actually a spontaneous moment. I have no idea why some songs take months of writing and rewriting (like ‘Blessed Be Your Name’) and others arrive really swiftly (like this one). One thing I’ve realized over the years is there’s no distinct rule that says that something composed quickly must therefore be more spiritual or inspired! Yes, God-breathed-inspired worship songs can at times be written very quickly and spontaneously—but at other times they’ve involved a lot of perseverance, perspiration, and hard work!” Without ever saying so, “10,000 Reasons” talks about the thanksgiving songs that worshipers will sing when they arise in the morning and when they lie down at night. This song about gratitude, as Redman reminds us, will reverberate throughout eternity. Bless the Lord, O my soul The sun comes up, it’s a
new day dawning What are your favorite worship songs about thankfulness?Is there any time you have been listening to songs about gratitude and have felt the Holy Spirit? What was that like? Let us know in the comments below! |