History of writing Christian songs. The history of the creation of gospel hymns

I.S. Prokhanov "The path is shown to me to an unearthly country"

In his autobiography, Prokhanov wrote about the events of 1895: “The Petersburg brothers insisted that I go abroad, advising me to publish there all the materials about the persecution in Russia, organize spiritual and financial assistance to our brothers, and send literature from there for the moral support of believers. Even while I remained in Petersburg, preparing to follow the advice of my brothers, the secret police were looking for me, following on their heels. Once I visited Brother Berdnikov. A few minutes after I left him, a police agent came in to my brother and asked about me.” It became obvious to Prokhanov that it was dangerous for him to continue to stay in St. Petersburg, so he was forced to leave through Finland abroad. While on the road, he wrote the poem "To an unearthly land the path is shown to me," which became a well-known spiritual song. The music for these words was written by the composer G.A. Dranenko.

Does life flow peacefully (It is well with my soul)

The words of this song (Horatio Gates Spafford) wrote after several tragic events in his life. He first experienced the death of his son. In 1871, Spafford invested heavily in real estate, which was destroyed a few months later by the Great Chicago Fire. As a result, he suffered a financial collapse. Two years after these events, Spafford decided to travel to Europe with his wife and children. Circumstances did not allow him to go with his family, he had to leave a little later. When his wife and four daughters crossed the Atlantic Ocean on a ship, a shipwreck occurred. All his daughters died. Only one wife survived. She sent him a telegram in which she wrote: "she was saved alone." A week later, Spafford, crossing the ocean, sailed near the place where his daughters died, the words of this song were born in his soul. Having experienced such upheavals, Spafford affirms that no matter how difficult the circumstances of our lives are, the Lord is always with us.

The music for these words was written by (Philip Paul Bliss) in 1876. Bliss, being the head of the Chicago Musical Institute, left this position in order to devote himself entirely to the service of God. He often participated in evangelistic meetings and wrote many famous Christian hymns. Shortly after he wrote the music to the words of Spafford, he was on the train to a meeting where he was to participate in the ministry with the famous preacher Moody. But, a tragedy occurred: the bridge on which the train passed collapsed. Despite the fact that Bliss survived the train crash, he returned to the scene of the fire and died trying to save his wife.

Great God ("How Great Thou Art")

In 1974, readers of the American magazine "Christian Herald" voted "Great God" the No. 1 anthem in America.

The words of this hymn have been translated into many languages ​​of the world, it is sung on all continents and by general singing in Christian meetings, and by many famous and little-known singers, both at evangelistic events and at concert venues.

The history of the creation of this anthem is interesting. It was attended by representatives of different nations. And it began in 1886, when the Swedish pastor Carl Boberg wrote the poem "O store Gud".

They say that the idea of ​​writing this poem came to Boberg when he was struck by the greatness of the Lord, seeing such a picture: a sudden thunderstorm broke out, was replaced by a clear midday sun and the joyful chirping of birds. As the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: “For His invisible things, His eternal power and Godhead, are visible from the foundation of the world through the consideration of creatures.”

Boberg was very surprised when a few years later he heard at a meeting that his poem was being sung to the tune of an old Swedish tune.

Later in 1907, the lyrics of this song were translated into German by Manfred von Glehn and became known as "Wie gross bist Du" (How great You are).

Five years later, one of the founders of the evangelical movement in Russia, Ivan Stepanovich Prokhanov, while translating Glen's poems, translated the words of this hymn into Russian. It is known that I.S. Prokhanov was very fond of this anthem and often sang it. He included it in the collection of spiritual chants "Kimvals". Boberg's poem consisted of 10 stanzas, Prokhanov wrote in Russian the text of the song from 8 verses.

In 1925, Gustave Johnson makes the first literal translation of the poem "O store Gud" from Swedish into English. But this text did not become popular. It was called "O Mighty God, When I Behold the Wonder" (Oh, Almighty God, when I see heaven).

It is interesting that the English text, so popular all over the world now, was translated from Prokhanov's Russian text. It was made by the English missionary Stuart Hine. Participating with his wife in the ministry among the Ukrainian people, he first heard this chant in Russian and fell in love with it. Then, moving to the Carpathian part of Russia, Hein, struck by the beauty of the mountains, wrote the first three verses of the anthem in English. In 1939, after the outbreak of World War II, the Hine couple was forced to return to Britain, where the last fourth verse was written. The entire anthem "Great God" in English was published by Hein in 1949 with his own text and processing of the Swedish melody.

This hymn became widely known after it was played during the London evangelism in 1954 at Haringey Arena.

I remember what a grandiose impression this hymn made on me when I first heard it in 1992 at Billy Graham's evangelistic meeting at the Olimpiysky sports complex in Moscow, performed by a 7,000-strong choir, when a crowd of thousands of listeners: believers and only going to faith, in one impulse she sang along: “How great You are, how great You are!”

Silent Night (Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!)

The most popular Christmas carol that is sung all over the world. He was born presumably in 1816-1818. in Austria. The words were written by Joseph More (Josef Mohr), who served as an assistant priest in the Catholic Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf. An organ broke down in the Church, and in order to still have music at the Christmas service, Mohr wrote poems that were set to music by Franz X. Gruber, a village teacher who played the organ in the Church. For the first time the hymn "Silent Night" was performed by 2 soloists (tenor and soprano) and a choir accompanied by a guitar. Subsequently, Catholic and Protestant missionaries carried this hymn around the world. Now it is sung in more than 300 (!) different languages ​​and dialects.

Hymns by Fanny Crosby

One day, Fanny was told a story about a woman who got into a crush on the street with a child in her arms. They were pressed from all sides, the child was crying plaintively. And it seemed that he was about to be crushed. The mother, in order to save the child, gathered her last strength and lifted him up in her arms above the crowd and thus saved the child. Impressed by this story, the poetess wrote poems "I'm in the hands of Jesus" that became a famous song.

Fanny Crosby visited the prison, where she told the prisoners about God's love. Her story made a big impression on the listeners. They wanted to pray together at Fanny. In prayer, one of the prisoners asked that Jesus not pass him by, but save him. The poetess was touched to the depths of her heart by this sincere prayer. She put these words at the heart of her famous hymn "Jesus don't pass me"(Pass me not).

I firmly believe: my Jesus! (Blessed Assurance)

One day, Fanny Crosby was visited by her friend Mrs. Knop, the wife of the director of a large insurance agency, who wrote about 500 melodies for Christian hymns in her life. She played a melody of her own composition and asked Fanny how the melody made her feel. The blind poetess immediately answered: “I firmly believe: my Jesus! By them I am comforted, and by them I am glad.”
This is how one of the most famous Christian hymns was born, which is sung in many countries of the world.

© 2006-2008 Tatyana Makarova
© Christian Creative Union, www.site

Probably, not many people know what the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem and the biblical book of Job have in common. The named hotel is a kind of monument to the life of "Job of the late 19th century" Horatio Gates Spafford, who lived here in America. This man is known as the author of the Christian hymn "Does life flow peacefully..."

Horatio Gates Spafford was born October 20, 1828 in North Troy, New York. As a young man, Spafford was a successful lawyer in Chicago. He was a lawyer in the field of medical law. Young Horatio not only knew jurisprudence well, he was in awe of the Law of God, he taught at Sunday school. Financial success was not an end in itself for him, he regarded it as a blessing sent down from above. Therefore, he always tried to serve God and his neighbors.

Spafford loved his family very much: his wife Anna, four daughters, Annie, Maggie, Bassey and Thanet, and son Horatio Jr. In their house they often gathered for worship. He and his wife were friends of the famous preacher Dwight Moody and supported him financially. Noted evangelical musician George Stabbins characterized Spafford as "a man of extraordinary intelligence and refinement, deep spirituality and a serious student of the Scriptures."

It seemed that everything was going well: ministry, family, work... Life flowed peacefully, like a river. Nevertheless, severe trials soon fell on his lot. And it was during the tragic events that Horatio Spafford wrote the words to the famous song.

A few months before the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Spafford invested huge amounts of money in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan, and all his savings were swept away by this element. According to historians, this Chicago fire killed 250 people and left 90,000 homeless. Spafford suffered a financial ruin. On the eve of the fire, he survived the death of his four-year-old son. The boy died of scarlet fever. Despite the pain of losing a child, financial difficulties, Anna and Horatio Spafford help the homeless and hungry, take care of the sick and wounded, comfort them in grief, trying to ease the burden of what they have experienced. The Great Chicago Fire was a tragedy for the American nation, but for the Spafford family, the disaster was an opportunity to show Christ's love for those who suffer.

Two years after these events, Spafford decided to go to Europe with his wife and children - and not only for recreation. Dr. Moody needed their help. This great preacher evangelized with singer Ira Sankey in Britain. Horatio and Anna planned to join him soon. In November of the same year, due to an unforeseen development of events, Spafford was forced to stay in Chicago, and sent his wife and four daughters, as planned, on the French liner Ville du Havre. He himself was going to join them a few days later.

On November 22, 1873, the English ship Lochearn crashed into the steamer on which the Spafford family was sailing, and it sank in twelve minutes in the North Atlantic. The number of victims was 226 people. All four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna miraculously survived. She, unconscious, was raised by the sailors of a British ship, which was also sinking. An American ship hastened to help the victims. A few days later, the surviving passengers set foot on the shores of Sardiff, Wales.

Spafford's wife telegraphed to her husband: “She was saved alone. What should I do?" Spafford immediately boarded the ship and went to his heartbroken wife. Subsequently, he wrote: "On Thursday I sailed past the place in the ocean where our girls sank at a depth of three miles. And yet I do not believe that our beloved daughters are at the bottom of the ocean: they are saved, they are brought together, dear lambs."

It was early December, a cold winter night. The captain took Spafford aside and said: “Now the ship will cross the place where the French liner sank. Forty-seven degrees latitude. Thirty-five longitude. Three miles deep...” This was the place where the shipwreck happened, where his life was forever changed. Sadness, hope, fear, consolation - these emotions overwhelmed the heart of the poor father. He returned to the cabin and could not sleep for a long time. A biblical story from 2 Kings came to mind. He remembered the meek response of the Sonamite woman, whose long-awaited son suddenly died. The prophet Elisha then commanded his servant Gehazi: “Run to meet her and tell her: “Are you well? Is your husband healthy? Is the child healthy? - She said: "Healthy." And when she came to the man of God on the mountain, she took hold of his feet. And Gehazi came up to take her away, but the man of God said: "Leave her, her soul is grieved, but the Lord hid from me and did not tell me." Yes, the soul of this mother was greatly distressed, and yet she courageously endured suffering, trying to keep peace in her heart.

"All is well with my soul ... May the will of the Lord be done! .." Spafford whispered. He took a pen and paper, and the Lord Himself began to calm his wounded heart. And the words of a blessed song poured out.

“Does life flow peacefully, like a river...” In an instant, years of prosperity are replaced by sudden grief: “I am rushing on formidable waves ...” Near this bottomless grave of children dear to his heart, who had gone to eternity so early, words of consolation were born. Spafford did not dwell on the theme of worldly sorrows and trials: "Neither the attacks of the enemy, nor the severity of sorrows Will incline me to forget that my God wanted to redeem me from the abyss of passions In love." This blessed man focused on the atoning Sacrifice of Christ: “What in the world compares with such delight? My sin, all as it is, is entirely nailed to the cross, and I have been redeemed by the holy blood of the all-powerful Christ. He is all in anticipation of the glorious Second Coming of Christ: “Lord! I am waiting for your coming; Take my soul come! I know that only then will I fully find Peace in Your chest. And, like a triumph, confidence sounds: “You are with me, yes, Lord. In Your hands I rest."

Anna Spafford, like her husband, was not hardened in trials, not shipwrecked in faith. Only the Lord could give her strength to survive everything. According to the archives of the Christian Historical Institute, the crash occurred at approximately 2 am in the eastern part of the North Atlantic. The passengers of the French liner woke up from a strong jolt, similar to two powerful thunderbolts. They hurried up from their cabins to the deck and, to their horror, found that their ship had been rammed by another ship, crushing the liner in half. Frightened passengers crowded the deck as the ship's crew tried to launch the lifeboats into the water. Only a few people managed to get into the boats, as the French crew of the ship filled them.

Anna Spafford, her daughters, their governess, and the members of the mission rallied into a small group. Little Maggie assured: "Mommy, the Lord will certainly take care of us." Annie, the eldest, seeing that it was hard for her mother to hold Thanet in her arms, came over to help her. She supported her mother's hands and spoke words of comfort from the Psalm: “Do not be afraid, mother. The Lord's sea, and He created it." Young Bessie was very pale. She silently clung to her mother's knees, anticipating the inevitable disaster. Suddenly the water began to flood the ship. Passengers clung to its fragments, but, swept away by the imperious elements into the icy foaming abyss, they disappeared into the darkness. Screams, prayers, curses - everything was mixed up, as in a nightmare. The liner sank to the bottom, taking victims with it. Water gushed like Niagara Falls. A pitiless wave tore little Tanet from her mother's arms. Anna's hand was badly damaged by the impact of heavy ship fragments. She tried to save her child, who was carried away by the elements. For a moment she managed to grab little Tanet by the dress, but a new crushing blow of the wave snatched the baby from her hands forever. The unfortunate mother frantically searched for her child under water, but ... in vain.

Anna, in a semi-conscious state, was carried to the surface by a whirlpool - to the wreckage of an English ship. She instinctively grabbed the small plank. All she remembered was the splash of the oar. I woke up in a small boat. Her long hair was tangled, her clothes were torn, her whole body was soaked with salt and it hurt a lot. But this pain could not be compared with the mental anguish from the realization that her children were no more.

One young man, a passenger on a sunken ship who managed to survive, later spoke of two older Spafford girls whom Anna lost sight of when they were swept away by the water. The young man saw Maggie and Annie drowning when he floated on a piece of wood to escape. He shouted for them to grab him. Trying to stay afloat, he looked for a stronger foundation that would support the three of them. After nearly 30-40 minutes of searching, he found some of the wreckage and tried to help the girls climb up. But, unfortunately, their arms were already too weak, their bodies were frozen in the icy water, and their eyes were soon closed forever...

About how another daughter, Bessie, died, Anna never found out ...

After Anna was rescued, Pastor Nathaniel Weiss, who knew the Spafford family well and who had survived the disaster, heard her say, "God gave me four daughters. Now they are taken from me. The day will come when I will understand why ".

Devastated and indifferent, Anna seemed to have lost the meaning of her existence. The people who survived after the shipwreck tried not to leave her side so that she would not take her own life. But in her inexpressible sorrow and despair, Anna heard a tender voice in her heart: "You are saved for a higher purpose!"

Then Anna remembered how one of her friends once said to her: "It is easy to remain grateful and kind in times of abundance, but let's be careful: it is unfair to be friends with God only in happy days."

At thirty, Anna had lost almost everything. It happened so suddenly. Now she was alone waiting for her husband, who was supposed to come for her. The poor woman stood alone and peered into the faces of the arriving passengers. When she saw the sweet, dear features of her husband, she realized: this is not the end, this is only the beginning of their new life.

The Lord blessed Anna and Horatio with three more children.

Their son was born in 1876. He was named Horatio again, this time not so much in honor of his father, but in honor of their dead first-born. Two years later, the Lord gave them a daughter, Bertha, and then another girl, Grace. Unfortunately, their son soon died of scarlet fever when he was four years old, just like his brother.

After the death of his son Horatio, Spafford decided to leave his home in America forever and move to Jerusalem. In his letter to a friend, he wrote: “Jerusalem is the city in which my Lord lived, suffered and conquered. And I, like Him, want to learn how to live, suffer and, most importantly, win.” In September 1881, the Spafford family and a few friends left their hometown of Chicago to find peace in the holy city of the world and lend a helping hand to families in distress.

Drawing strength from faith in the Lord, the Spaffords, along with sixteen other members of their church, came to Jerusalem and settled in a small house on Nablus Street, a ten-minute walk from the Damascus Gate and the Old City.

The Spaffords were never missionaries, but tried to live a simple life like the early Christians, holding property in common. They now looked at life through the eyes of eternity. Opening the door of mercy to the Jews and the Bedouins from across the Jordan, they soon established good relations with the locals and became known for their philanthropic work and assistance to the community. They wanted to show people the love of Jesus with their lives, as Horatio wrote in his song: “I will say from the heart: for me life is Christ, And in Him is my all-powerful stronghold. Traces of sin, temptations and tears He will erase from me with love.

People just called them "Americans". In 1894, seventy Swedes from the United States joined the "Americans". Fifty-five more people joined two years later. And this expanded community needed more spacious housing. Finally, they bought a house, originally designed as a pasha's palace. Soon this palace became the American Colony Hotel, where prominent statesmen stay today. Yet the mission building for the orphans and the homeless remains, as originally intended. Today it is the "Spafford Children's Association". Every year the association helps poor children, which number more than 30 thousand. The chords of peace and mercy that once sounded in Jerusalem are pouring a beautiful melody of goodness and consolation today. In tragic circumstances, Horatio and Anna Spafford lost their six children, but through their sacrificial service and compassion, tens of thousands of children in times of hardship found help and support in the American Colony.

The Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlöf wrote a two-volume book about this Christian colony, calling it "Jerusalem". This book was awarded the Nobel Prize.

In 1950, the book "Our Jerusalem" appeared in print. It belongs to the Spafford daughter, Bertha. She recalls: “In Chicago, my father always tried to find an explanation for what happened in his life. In Jerusalem, everything changed: his life now flowed peacefully, like a river. Spiritual peace surrounded all these years his family life, his home, his ministry.

All the people who knew my father asked the silent question: "What guilt caused such irreparable losses in the lives of Anna and Horatio Spafford?" And the father became more and more convinced that God was very kind to him and that soon he would see all his children in heaven. This thought calmed his heart and at the same time made him constantly reflect on what the life of a Christian really is. In those days when the father passed through the "valley of the shadow of death", his faith became stronger and more triumphant. Crossing the formidable abyss on the ship, where his children died, he wrote a beautiful hymn, which serves as a consolation to many who suffer.

Horatio Spafford died of malaria on October 16, 1888, four days short of his sixtieth birthday. He was buried in Jerusalem, the city of peace. His cherished dream came true: the Lord lovingly wiped away the traces of sin, temptations and tears from him forever. There is an inscription on the memorial plaque. No, we will not find there words about a successful businessman and influential lawyer, which this man once was. Written simply and majestically: the author of an inspired song and a servant of God. Anna Spafford, his wife, continued to work in the mission for a long time and passed into eternity in 1923.

The music for the anthem was written by Philip Bliss, who was impressed by Spafford's experiences and the expressiveness of his poem. This hymn was first published in 1876 in one of the Sankey-Bliss hymnbooks, Gospel Hymns No. 2. Bliss, being the head of the Chicago Musical Institute, left this position in order to devote himself entirely to the service of God. He often participated in evangelistic meetings and wrote many famous Christian hymns. Shortly after composing the music to the words of Spafford, he traveled by train to a meeting in which he was to participate in the ministry with the famous preacher Moody. But tragedy struck: the bridge over which the train was passing collapsed. Despite surviving the train crash, Bliss returned to the scene of the fire and died trying to save his wife. He was only 38 years old. Bliss was a prolific gospel hymn writer throughout his short life. In most cases, he wrote both the words and the music for his songs. Other hymns by Philip Bliss are also known: “I died for you”, “In His word Christ teaches me”, “Our Father shines His beacon ...”, “Having removed from us the law of enslavement”.

The amazing life of the Old Testament righteous Job, the Spafford family, and many other sufferers whom we don’t even know about proclaim to us the truth that even in the most severe trials, the Lord can be glorified and grant a precious victory. Our salvation cost Jesus' life and cost us nothing. But Christ calls us, His disciples, to become like Him, to deny ourselves and consecrate our lives to Him, perhaps to give up the small for the sake of the greater, from the temporal for the sake of the eternal. At the end of his suffering, Job was generously rewarded: the Lord made up for his losses.

Humility allowed Horatio and Anna to remain faithful to the Lord in the crucible of trials. In all their hardships, the Spaffords saw a sign that the Savior was about to return, so He took their children and property from them. It was this view of their suffering, in the context of eternity, that helped them to treat trials correctly and, instead of depression and complaints, produced God's blessing. Truly, these people knew how to honor the Lord and deeply humble themselves before Him. They obeyed His will, not knowing and not fully understanding the meaning of what was happening. The unearthly world filled their hearts, which were filled with gratitude and in trials. It would be a great blessing for us, Christians of the 21st century, to imitate their faith, so that the words of a wonderful song become our essence: “You are with me. Yes, Lord. In Your hands I rest."

Irina Karhut (Sacramento, USA)

Prayer hymn “Lord! Be with us,” wrote N. M. Chetvernin, brother-evangelist, back in the 80s of the 19th century. This is one of the pioneers of the evangelical awakening in Russia. For the first time this hymn appeared on the pages of the printed organ of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in the magazine "Conversation" in 1891. N. M. Chetvernin was, perhaps, the first of those who came to believe in the Saratov province, in the city of Turki. He was a participant in the first congresses of Russian Baptists in Russia in the 1980s. They wrote only three or four hymns. In terms of poetry, he was not famous and did not strive for it, but in his hymns he expressed the most urgent need of the assembly of believers. He wrote with inspiration, as it was then noted, “with the anointing” (of the Holy Spirit). Therefore, this hymn is both tenacious and resounds in our churches for the second century. Let's delve into the meaning of the words:

“... Give unity in your thoughts, kindle love in your hearts! Spirit of meekness, humility in us revive You again!”

“Wonderful Lake of Gennesaret” is a prayer hymn written by evangelist brother Pavel Burmistrov in the 1920s. What else was written to them is unknown. But even if this hymn alone, how vital his words still sound today:

“Or is there a mold of doubt on us? Or is it vanity?

Or is it hard to see Christ in us from the turbulent life of unrest?

Isn't it true, this is a question of our time, and of us, living in a country of well-being.

“Jesus, Savior of the soul…” The author of this prayer hymn is a modest worker in our brotherhood in 10-30 years, P. Ya. Datsko. He became a victim of Stalinist repressions during the hard times of the 30s. P. Ya. Datsko is one of those who, back in the 10s of the last century, worked among Christian youth together with F. I. Sanin, M. D. Timoshenko, N. V. Odintsov. He also wrote the hymn "You are for me, the Savior ..." and the Christmas hymn "Angelic singing sounds in heaven." Here, perhaps, is all that they wrote. But why do these hymns continue to sound in our local churches for nearly a hundred years now?

“Oh, keep in the midst of the storm of life, making the path to the end, So that I can reach the Fatherland and rest freely in it. You, the source of eternal life, can quench my thirst, And you can live in the stream of the holy fatherland in my heart.

“You were for me, Savior, having humbled yourself in a manger, You were a blind driver, you lived for the poor of the world,” we sing both on Christmas days and in any prayer service.

But two spiritual songs: “When trials overcome you” and “God, You see the suffering on my earthly path” are songs of consolation, personally suffered. Their author was V. P. Stepanov, an ardent preacher from the end of the 19th century until the end of the 1930s. These songs were written by him during the years of his stay in the Gulag camps, in the village of Dark behind barbed wire in the Khabarovsk Territory. In the post-war years, this village was renamed Svetly. During the hard times of the 1930s, these songs spread with incredible speed to many evangelical house churches and small groups.

Some suffering believers in those years lived in a tremulous expectation of the coming of Jesus Christ for the Church and in the quiet of loneliness sang these beloved songs: “How dear to me is communion with the saints on earth, But even this pleasure is not always possible for me.” Communion of believers was possible only, figuratively speaking, "in the catacombs", in random meetings in private apartments and, in most cases, secretly.

V.P. Stepanov was captured by the Chekists on his way to the next trip for the gospel and returned from it four years later, being isolated due to illness. There, in terrible barracks conditions, he wrote these songs. Stepanov died three months later in 1937 in the Voronezh hospital. Interesting memories of him are given by contemporaries. It was a preacher-singer. He accompanied each of his sermons with a song written by himself. Sometimes, as they said, he, going to the pulpit, was already singing loudly. His sermons were usually accompanied by the repentance of sinners.

August Diedrich Richet (1819 - 1906) - the author of the world-famous Christian song "God is love", thanks to his believing mother, loved the Lord from a very early age and had a desire to learn more about Him. After the death of his mother, the boy suffered from an indifferent attitude towards faith in the family. The father, a financial worker, married a second time, and rationalism began to reign in the family. Only in his student years did August Diedrich find what he was looking for in vain in the atmosphere of his family, cold to faith.

He studied in the city of Halle with Professor Toluca, who took care of his students like a father. The young student was greatly helped by counseling conversations with the teacher. Soon he came to true faith in the living God, in Jesus Christ. He was deeply happy and expressed his feelings in the song "God is love", which is sung today in many languages.

Richet joined a group of regenerated young people who began each day by praying together. From 1851 he served as a pastor in Mecklenburg. He devoted fifty years to his beloved work - serving the Lord, working with teenagers and youth. A. D. Richet created the first youth union in the land of Minden-Ravensberg and offered to build an orphanage. They say that every morning from half past five to eight o'clock he read the Holy Scriptures. His motto, to which he remained true to the end of his life, was the words: "Half-Christianity has never yet borne fruit."

God is love -

Oh what happiness!

God is love,

He loved us.

Let everyone joyfully sing and praise,

Praise him; God is love.

God is love,

He sent a Son to us

God is love,

He delivered us.

God is love.

We have served sin...

God is love,

He freed.

My Redeemer

Delivered me

My Redeemer

Forgave me.

I will forever sing and praise you,

I will praise Your love.

A BLESSING CHRISTMAS DAY

This song seems very simple to many, even childish. But that was precisely the intention of the poet John Daniel Flac (1768–1826). He managed to become a real father for all the children of the orphanage in Weimar. He was born and raised in Danzig, in a poor family of a hairdresser. Hungry for knowledge, the smart boy saved every penny to buy books. He studied well, and the city authorities paid for his education at the university, after which he was appointed counselor of the embassy in Weimar. After the great battle of nations - the Battle of Leipzig in 1913 - the whole country was swept by an epidemic that claimed all of his four children. This terrible blow brought Flac closer to God. An example of true faith in God for him was his mother. Now this passionate faith manifested itself in him. He becomes a follower of Jesus Christ and His faithful witness in that difficult time of unbelief.

Having lost his children, he collects neglected orphans from the streets and establishes an orphanage. Flack briefly and clearly expressed his position: “In our institution, you need to have three keys: 1) the key to the bread cabinet; 2) the key to the wardrobe; and 3) the key to the Kingdom of Heaven. And if the last one breaks, the first two do not fit the locks any more.

For his pupils, he published a collection of spiritual songs "A Friend in Need". The first song in this collection was called "Full of goodness ..."

Flac wrote the words of this song to the music of an ancient church hymn. The song fell in love and quickly spread among the people. The children of his orphanage were the first to perform it. John Daniel Flac said: "I rejoice in the passionate reverence with which my children sing this song, and I am deeply grateful to my Lord for this." Now it is sung by Christians on all continents.

Blessed Christmas Day!

The world languished in sin,

Here Christ is born

To all believers, a day of celebration!

Full of goodness, full of joy

Blessed Christmas Day!

Unearthly forces, dear songs

Announce the day of celebration to all!

Full of goodness, full of joy

Blessed Christmas Day!

A Savior has been given to people -

With God the Reconciler.

Rejoice, the day of celebration has come!

DON'T LEAVE

THE BIRTH OF A SONG

Which of the believers of the gospel confession did not come into contact with the work of R.M. Berezov, a poet and writer gifted from above? But not everyone knows that many of the songs that believers sing today are based on his words. They are sung to folk tunes and impress with the depth and spirituality of their content.

I remember how the song "Don't Leave" was born. R. M. came to see me in Sacramento overwhelmed with the joy of the salvation he had received from the Lord in Hollywood in 1953. All evening he read new poems to me, and in the morning, returning from the park, he sang a new song: Oh, how difficult it is to take care of yourself ...

I really liked the song. That same evening he performed it himself at a Baptist congregation in Bright, a small town near Sacramento. People came up to him and asked: "Rodion Mikhailovich, give me the words of this song." Later, this song was included in the collection of his poems "Songs of the Soul", and then - in his first disc. He performed it in a duet with his brother P.I. Rogozin.

With his inherent humor and Volga dialect, he made the following introduction to the song: “The Lord gave me this song recently. We sang it with br. Rogozin in San Francisco, in Los Angeles, in Seattle. The listeners said: “You sing well, like blind men in the bazaar ...” In fact, both had pleasant voices, and today this song sounds on the record like a prayer of a man who has seen the light - convincingly and clearly.

Since this song was listened to many times in my house, my four-year-old daughter, Ksenya, playing with her dolls, often hummed to herself, lisping:

"Oh, how hard it is to take care of yourself,

Every moment of your life…”

She hardly understood the meaning of the words, but, apparently, the melody sunk into her heart too. The word born by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the poet did not die. Many years later, it is heard in radio broadcasts, in meetings, on cassette recordings and records.

Let's remember the words of the psalmist: "HE has put a new song in my mouth - praise to our God" (Ps. 39:4).

N. Vodnevsky

DON'T LEAVE

Oh how hard it is to take care of yourself

Every moment of your life.

But when I Savior with you

So I don't have to worry.

But I'm not always with you

Bustle distracts me

And I forget to call you

And the darkness owns the soul.

The doors of the heart to enter are closed,

Ice does not melt instead of fire,

And you stand in the distance, forgotten

And you look at me sadly.

But the soul sees blind,

And I come to you again

Embracing me like a native

You give me Your grace.

My days on earth are fleeting

And uneven, winding my way.

O Beloved, One, Eternal,

Don't leave, don't leave, don't forget!

QUIET NIGHT

… We found it in Yakov Leven's book “A seed is sown”.

It was night in the modest apartment of teacher Gruber. It was night there, not only because neither the Christmas tree nor the lamps were lit in the apartment. It was night because they had recently been struck by a great trial: the only child, tiny Marihen, had gone away, recalled by God to heaven. The father resigned himself to this departure, but this loss dealt such a blow to the heart of the mother, from which she could not recover. She couldn't cry. For days on end she remained motionless, absent from this world. In vain did the teacher who endured her grief courageously say many words of consolation and heartfelt admonition to her, in vain did he surround her with caring courtesy and tenderness; the poor mother remained insensitive to everything, as if she were only a body without a soul, wandering in this world that could give her nothing more.

On this Christmas Eve, Gruber, called by duty, went to the village church. With deep sadness he looked with eyes wet with tears at the charming spectacle of children embraced with joy. Then he returned to the cold darkness of his apartment. In the corner of the room, the mother, seated deep in her armchair, looked like marble or ice. He tried to tell her about the worship, but the answer to everything was deathly silence.

Dejected by the futility of all efforts and attempts to bring his heartbroken wife back to life, the poor teacher sat down at the open piano. How many times had his musical talent conjured up melodies that lulled, comforted and attracted to heaven, but what was there to tell the poor friend that evening?

Gruber's fingers wandered at random over the keys as his eyes searched the sky for some vision. Suddenly they stopped at a star shining in the sky with an unknown brilliance! From there, from above, a ray of love descended, which filled the heart of the mourner with such joy and such peace that he suddenly began to sing, improvising that clear melody that we repeat every Christmas. That evening, for the first time, a melody composed by Gruber was heard: Silent night, wondrous night. Everything is slumbering… Only the reverently young couple is not sleeping…”

There is a star in the sky! The school teacher, seeing her, seemed to call her with his singing to his sad apartment. And when he sings, the inconsolable mother awakens and returns to life! The trembling shakes her and breaks the ice sheet that has bound her heart! A sob breaks out of her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. She gets up, throws herself on her husband's neck, and together with him finishes the song she has begun. She's saved!

Brother Gruber ran 6 km that night to Pastor Mohr and repeated this hymn with him. It was December 24, 1818.

Today this Christmas carol is sung all over the earth and in almost every language of the world.

“And they found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger” - Luk. 2.16

Quiet night

F. Gruber

Quiet night,

Amazing night!

Everything is slumbering, just not sleeping

In reverence Holy Couple;

With a wonderful baby their hearts are full,

Joy burns in their souls,

Joy burns in their souls.

Quiet night,

Amazing night!

A voice from heaven announced:

"Rejoice, now Christ is born,

He brought peace and salvation to all,

Light has visited you from above! —

The Light has visited you from above!”

Quiet night,

Amazing night!

God called us to heaven:

Oh let our hearts open

And let all lips glorify Him:

He gave us a Savior! —

He gave us a Savior!

Quiet night,

Amazing night!

The light of the star opened the way

To Emmanuel the Deliverer,

Christ Jesus the Savior,

He showed us grace

He showed us grace!

"But I know who I believe in"

“For I know in whom I have believed, and I am sure that He is able to keep my pledge for that day.”

You have already noticed that behind each piece of music or the words of the anthem is hidden some unusual story that prompted the author to an unusual outpouring of his feelings. So it often happens. But behind this anthem is not one story, but the life of a man, his unusual fate.

Major Whitele (1840-1901) was born into a Christian family in Massachusetts and went on to become a renowned evangelist, preacher and poet. Here is what he wrote about himself: “When the Civil War began, I left my home in New England and went to Virginia, where I was assigned as a lieutenant to serve in a regiment that had arrived from Massachusetts. My mother, being a sincere Christian, tearfully said goodbye to me and prayed for my path. She put the New Testament in the pocket of my duffel bag, which she had prepared for me in advance.

We went through many fights and I saw many unpleasant pictures. In one of the fights, I was wounded, and my arm was amputated up to the very elbow. During the recovery period, I had a desire to read something. I rummaged through my duffel bag (which I was allowed to keep) and found a small gospel my mother had put in.

I read book after book: Matthew, Mark, Luke... until Revelation. Every detail was interesting to me, and to my surprise I found that I understood what I was reading in a way I had never understood before. After Revelation, I started again with Matthew and read everything over again. As the days went on, I continued to read everything with great interest. And although it didn't even cross my mind to become a Christian, I clearly saw that salvation can be obtained only through Christ.

Being in this position, I was awakened one day at midnight by the orderly, who said:

“There, at the other end of the ward, the boy is dying. He persistently begs me to pray for him or find someone who can pray. I can't do this because I'm an evil person. Maybe you will pray?

- What?! I was surprised. - I can't pray. In all my life I have never prayed. Besides, I'm just as bad a person as you.

“I never prayed,” the orderly repeated quietly. – And I thought you pray when you read your New Testament… What should I do? Whom to ask? I can't leave him like that... You know, let's go together and talk to the guy.

I got up from my bunk and followed the orderly to the far corner of the ward. A black-haired young man, about seventeen years old, was dying there. You could already see signs of agony on his face. He fixed his gaze on me and pleaded:

“Oh… Please pray for me!” Please pray... I was a good boy. My mom and dad are members of the church, and I also went to Sunday school. But when he became a soldier, he learned evil: he drank, swore, played cards, made friends with bad people. And now I'm dying and I'm not ready for it. Please ask God to forgive me. Pray! Ask Christ to save me!

I stood and listened to his plea. At that moment God told me through the Holy Spirit, “You already know the way of salvation. Get on your knees, call on Christ and pray for the dying.”

I knelt down and, holding the guy's hand with my surviving hand, confessed my sins in a few words and asked God for Christ's sake to forgive me. I believed right there that He forgave me. And I immediately began to fervently pray together with the dying man. The young man squeezed my hand and fell silent. When I got up from my knees, he was already dead. Peace could be seen on his face. I have no choice but to believe that this boy was God's instrument to turn me to Christ. Someday I hope to meet him in heaven."

Many years have passed since that unusual night. Major Whitel continued to search the Scriptures just as diligently, only now praying and realizing that he was a child of God.

He had one feature: during a quiet pastime with the Gospel and God, Whitel began to compose poems, to which his friend James Grenahan subsequently composed music. And so the beloved hymn was born to all of us: "But I know in Whom I believe."

I don't know why it's open

Gift of grace to me

Ile why salvation shield

I was given from eternal punishment.

Don't know how my God gives

I believe the hearing is alive.

And how that faith brings the world

Grieving soul.

I don't know how the Holy Spirit

To sin inspires fear,

And how the good Christ gives

Forgiveness in sins.

I don't know what's in my life

Assigned to carry

And how me to my native country

God wants to bring.

I don't know the time or the day

When the Lord comes

Or as through death, or me Himself

On that day He will call.

But I know who I believe in

Nothing will separate me from Christ;

And He will give me salvation

The day it comes again.

WHAT FRIEND WE HAVE

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).

“Joseph Scriven looked in shock at the body of his bride, which was pulled out of the water. Their wedding was planned for the next day. Under the impact of the tragedy, he had the idea to immigrate to America. A few months later, the young man packed his things in Dublin, Ireland, and took a ship to Canada, leaving his mother alone. He was only 25 years old.

Ten years later, in 1855, Joseph received a letter from his mother saying that she was in great difficulty. Under his impression, he took a sheet of paper, sat down at the table and wrote poems that began with the words: “What kind of Friend do we have?” Mrs. Scriven gave a copy of the poems to a friend who published them anonymously. Soon music was added to the words, and a new anthem was born, which quickly spread and became popular. But no one knew who wrote it.

During this time, Joseph fell in love. But trouble struck again. Eliza Catherine Roche, his fiancée, contracted tuberculosis and died in 1860 shortly before their marriage. In order not to choke in his grief, Joseph gives himself completely to the ministry, doing works of mercy and preaching in the Plymouth Baptist Church.

He lived simply and obscurely in Port Hope, Canada, making window frames and giving alms to the needy. He was described as "a man of small stature, with gray hair and bright blue eyes that sparkled when he spoke." Ira Sansky later wrote of him: “Almost until his death, no one suspected that Joseph had the gift of a poet. Once a neighbor, while at his house, when Scriven was ill, saw a written copy: "What a Friend we have." After reading the verses, he delightedly asked Joseph about them. He only replied that together with the Lord he wrote them for his mother when she was in a crisis. Scriven then did not suspect that that anthem became widely known in Europe.

On October 10, 1896, Joseph fell seriously ill. On the last day of his life, delirious, he got up from his bed and walked out the door. Walking with an uneven gait, he stumbled, fell by the stream and ... ".

"Does life flow peacefully like a river..." History of the anthem

This beautiful gospel song was written by Chicago Presbyterian parishioner Horatio J. Spafford, born October 20, 1828, in North Troy, New York. As a young man, Spafford was a successful lawyer in Chicago. Despite his financial success, he always retained a deep interest in Christian work. He was on close terms with D.L. Moody and other evangelical leaders of that era. Renowned evangelical musician George Stabbins described him as a man of "extraordinary intelligence and refinement, deep spirituality and earnest study of the Scriptures."

A few months before the Chicago fire of 1871, Spafford invested huge amounts of money in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan, and all his savings were swept away by this element. On the eve of the fire, he survived the death of his son. In 1873, wanting a holiday for his wife and four daughters, and intending to join Moody and Sankey to help them evangelize in Britain, Spafford decided to take his family on a trip to Europe. In November of the same year, due to an unforeseen development of events, he was forced to stay in Chicago, and, as planned, he sent his wife and four daughters on the steamer Ville du Havre. He himself was going to join them a few days later.

On November 22, the English ship Lochearn crashed into the steamer and she sank in 12 minutes. A few days later, the surviving passengers stepped ashore in Sardiff, Wales. Spafford's wife telegraphed to her husband: "She was saved alone." Spefford immediately boarded the ship and went to his heartbroken wife. There are speculations that at sea, somewhere in the place where his four daughters drowned, Spafford wrote this text in words that so vividly describe his grief - “Do I rush on menacing waves ...” It is worth noting, however, that Spafford does not stop at theme of worldly sorrows and trials, but focuses in the third verse on the redemptive work of Christ, and in the fifth expresses the expectations of His glorious second coming. It is purely humanly amazing how one can go through such tragedy and grief as Horatio Spafford experienced, and be able to speak with such persuasive clarity: "You are with me, yes, Lord."

Philip P. Bliss was so impressed by Spafford's experiences and the expressiveness of his poem that he soon wrote music to it. This hymn was first published in 1876 in one of Sankey Bliss' hymnbooks, Gospel Hymns No. 2. Bliss was a prolific gospel hymn writer throughout his short life. In most cases, he wrote both the words and the music for his hymns. His songs, like most early hymns, have a strong emotional impact, have a catchy tune, and are easy to sing. Other hymns by Philipp P. Bliss include "Oh, comrades, look", "I died for you", "In His word Christ teaches me", "Our Father shines His light", "Having removed from us the law of enslavement".

Does life flow peacefully like a river

Am I rushing on menacing waves -

At any time, near, far

In Your hands I rest.

You are with me, yes, Lord, In Your arms I rest.

Neither enemy attacks, nor the severity of sorrows

Won't make me forget

That my God me from the abyss of passions

In love, I wanted to redeem.

From my heart I will say: for me life is Christ,

And in Him is my all-powerful stronghold.

Traces of sin, temptations and tears

He will erase from me with love.

Lord! I'm waiting for your coming

Take my soul come!

I know that only then will I find

Peace on your chest.

I STRONGLY BELIEVE

Creef Barros, music director for Billy Graham's evangelistic campaigns, writes: "A few years ago I stood in a city cemetery and looked at a modest tombstone on which was carved:" Aunt Fanny. I remembered the life of a wonderful woman, blind almost from the day of her birth, who, in all probability, was the greatest Christian poet of the last hundred years. How many souls have repented and believed in Christ through the hymns of Fanny Crosby!

One of Fanny Crosby's close friends was Mrs. Knapp, the wife of the director of one of the largest insurance agencies. Mrs. Knapp was an amateur musician and often visited the poetess Fanny Crosby. During one of these visits, she invited the hostess to listen to a melody that she herself composed. "What feelings does this melody evoke in you?" Mrs. Knapp asked Fanny Crosby after she had lost her several times. The blind poetess answered at once:

I firmly believe: my Jesus!

By them I am comforted and by them I rejoice.

He wants to give heaven an inheritance.

What a pleasure to have them!

This method of composing text to written music has become customary for the poetess. She used it to compose many of her seven thousand poems.

“As far as I remember, our choir began to perform this song already in 1948,” continues C. Barros. — Some criticize our simple gospel songs, saying that they are too self-centered, personal in content. But accepting Christ and following Him is a purely personal matter.” There is one short quote on Fanny Crosby's tombstone that many visitors to the cemetery overlook: "She did her best." These words were spoken by Jesus in Bethany after a woman anointed Him with precious nard oil. When some stumbled over this waste of dear peace, Jesus said to them, "She did what she could." I am convinced that our Lord accepted the sacrifice of Fanny Crosby in the same way. Her hymns contain the fragrant scent of her love for Jesus. If Fanny had written only this one song, the aroma of which is very strong, it would be enough for the Lord to say with encouragement: "She did what she could."

I firmly believe: my Jesus!

By them I am comforted and by them I rejoice.

He wants to give heaven an inheritance.

What a pleasure to have them!

Forever I will sing with triumph.

About my wonderful Jesus.

I firmly believe: from that hour,

How I surrendered, I am His child.

Peace fills my heart

In Him I find bread and drink.

I firmly believe: with a strong hand

He spreads His roof over me,

Whatever happens, the spirit is joyful:

Forever with me Shepherd and Friend!

Wonderful and complete peace and tranquility

My spirit finds union with You;

Let me give you my heart;

I would decrease, You would increase.

YOU KNOW THE WAY, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW IT...

On April 23, 1866, Jadwiga von Redern announced her coming into this world with a loud cry. Her life promised to be joyful and carefree.

She loved her father very much. When she was ten years old, he gave her a Bible with the inscription: "To my beloved daughter for diligent daily reading."

When the twenty-year-old Jadwiga was with her sister and aunt in Switzerland, her father died suddenly. Jadwiga was tormented for a long time by questions like: “What does the Lord want from us?”, “Why did He allow this?”. She found peace in the Word of God: “Don't ask. You'll get an answer later." Over time, she realized that the Lord, by His great mercy, is a tireless educator. She writes: “Look at the devotion of a gardener who cuts down a tree that wastes its precious juice on branches that do not bear fruit. The gardener knows that new shoots will come from the roots and bear fruit.”

A few weeks after the death of the father, the family estate inherited by the family from the father burns down. He was 500 years old. Jadwiga von Redern writes in despair: "Everything collapsed, the world became cold and dark." Reproaches rained down on the Lord: “Love? No, He doesn't love me. He persecutes and destroys."

She had to go through very difficult trials in order to fully feel the love of the Lord. Slowly, very slowly, her heart melts. The pain she cherished so much begins to subside, and one day she writes in her diary with great joy: "Lord, You have opened my eyes."

This Lord she wanted to serve. She told homeless children Bible stories, visited the sick in the barracks of Moabit hospitals, a residential area in Berlin. She distributed bunches of flowers to patients, sang songs about Christ to them, and listened to their needs.

Yadviga writes poems for songs, glorifying the Lord in them. The Grand Russian Duchess of the reigning house, Duchess Vera von Württemberg, loved the poems of Jadwiga von Redern. She translated them into Russian and distributed them to cabbies in St. Petersburg.

Marion von Klot lived in Riga. The time was difficult: the First World War had just ended and the Bolsheviks had come to power. Baltic and German citizens were imprisoned in the prisons of Riga. In the evening, when the lights in the cells were fading, twenty-two-year-old Marion von Clot sang the song of Jadwiga von Redern of amazing power:

You know the way even though I don't know it

This awareness gives me peace.

Why should I worry and fear

And day and night, always languishing soul.

You know the way, You also know the time

Your plan has long been ready for me.

And I praise you, Lord, from the bottom of my heart

For mercy, care and love.

You know everything: from where the winds blow,

And you tame the storm of life...

Let me not know where I'm going

But I am calm: You know my way.

She ends her autobiography with the words: “The purpose of the Lord’s journey with us is not impoverishment, but enrichment. Blessed is the man whose fruit of earthly life is eternal life. Only the inconceivable mercy of God can accomplish this.”

Jadwiga von Redern died in May 1935. At the funeral, her last wish was granted. The gypsies, who were persecuted everywhere, sang on her grave the song “When, after earthly labors and sorrows ...”, the words of which she translated from English.

B. and V. SHEFBUCH

IN THE HOUR WHEN THE PIPE OF THE LORD SHOULD OVER THE EARTH

Pastor James Black was once walking through the poorest part of the city. On the porch of a ruined house, he saw a little girl. Her torn dress and shoes said that this child lives without parental worries. Brother Black approached her and asked her, "Would you like to attend Sunday school?" “Yes, I would like to, but…” the girl answered quietly, without finishing the word, but Black understood. The next day, Bessie (that was the name of the girl) received a package with a dress and shoes.

On Sunday she attended Sunday school. Soon Bessie fell ill. Brother Black used to take the roll call at the start of the service. At one service, all the children gave an answer, but when Bessie's name was called, there was no answer. The name was repeated, but there was no answer. After that, someone said that she was ill. Brother Black winced. And if she dies, will she be at the heavenly roll call? And then he noticed that almost unconsciously he himself was whispering the answer: “At the hour when the trumpet of the Lord sounds over the earth, and the ever-bright dawn will come.” Then he sat down at the piano and immediately received the melody to this hymn through the Holy Spirit. Today this hymn is sung almost all over the earth. Little Bessie really died soon, but the song that was born through her illness lives on to this day.

Sarah Adams was an English poet born in 1805 and died in 1848. She was the wife of the famous inventor and magazine publisher William Bridges Adams.

Surrounded by colorful sofa cushions, Sarah Adams looked fragile and jaded, but still attractive, despite a long, debilitating illness. It's been three years now, three slowly dragging years since the last curtain fell on her theatrical career... At the memory of this, she took a deep breath and returned to reading a book. But that day, she could not concentrate, and her thoughts wandered somewhere far away from the pages of the book opened in front of her. She was worried not so much that she was sick and felt pain in her body and the loneliness in which she spends most of her time, but that the dream of her life, having barely had time to be fulfilled, went out forever, irrevocably.

As far as she could remember, she dreamed all her life of becoming a famous actress. She worked, studied and achieved this goal, and now, finally, she reached it ... But the joy was short-lived ... so terribly short-lived! An unexpected, devastating illness turned her into an invalid, removed her from the stage and slammed the doors to the theater forever. How bitter was her disappointment!

Being a deeply religious person by nature, Sarah Adams turned to God for comfort and help in her difficult trial. She has spent the last three years reading the Bible and biographies of famous saints and martyrs. She has recently started writing poetry, mostly spiritual, based on Scripture. Her writings began to appear frequently in Christian magazines and church papers. Pastor Fox visited her yesterday and again reminded her of the poem she had promised to send him in his new hymnal and hymnbook. She didn't have anything definite. He silently took the Old Testament from the shelf and, opening it to the story of Jacob's flight from the wrath of Esau, handed the book over to Sarah.

She replied that she had read the story many times and knew it almost as well as her own… Her own! Sarah mentally drew a parallel between her story and this story, between Jacob's suffering and her illness and disappointment. She suddenly clearly saw a striking similarity between them: broken dreams, darkness, and then awakening, light, victory, joy! Now she understood why the pastor had insisted that she reread this particular story. She will do more than that! She will write a poem and show how our sufferings and illnesses can be steps to heaven... closer to God...

Sarah was inspired. She saw the door that closed before the fulfillment of her desires as a cross, with which one can rise higher and closer to God. She saw her illness and disappointment, pain and loneliness upstairs, and the words flowed: “Closer, Lord, to You, Closer to You…” She wrote this poem almost without coercion, as if the words themselves poured into her soul from some mighty source from outside.

The poem, which Sarah Adams wrote that afternoon with the help of deep faith, became one of the most beloved hymns of Christians. It is sung in Christian families and in gatherings of believers in all countries. This is the favorite anthem of millions. It is sung in the close presence of death and under the threat of disaster, because it brings comfort in difficult moments of life. It is a hymn of promise and hope for the heartbroken and sick.

In the last tragic minutes of the death of the Titanic, when the mighty “unsinkable” ship was sinking, taking hundreds of lives with it, the orchestra played “Closer, Lord, to Thee” on the deck until the last moment, and to these sounds the water closed over the players and singing. Those who managed to escape on lifeboats later told how the doomed passengers knelt on the deck and prayed, while others simply stood without panic and sang this hymn and went under water with it on their lips.

Stories of Christian Hymns "What a Friend We Have" "Joseph Scriven looked in shock at the body of his bride, which was pulled out of the water. Their wedding was planned for the next day. Under the impact of the tragedy, he had the idea to immigrate to America. A few months later, the young man packed his things in Dublin, Ireland, and took a ship to Canada, leaving his mother alone. He was only 25 years old. Ten years later, in 1855, Joseph received a letter from his mother saying that she was in great difficulty. Under his impression, he took a sheet of paper, sat down at the table and wrote poems that began with the words: “What kind of Friend do we have?” Mrs. Scriven gave a copy of the poems to a friend who published them anonymously. Soon music was added to the words, and a new anthem was born, which quickly spread and became popular. But no one knew who wrote it. During this time, Joseph fell in love. But trouble struck again. Eliza Catherine Roche, his fiancée, contracted tuberculosis and died in 1860 shortly before their marriage. In order not to drown in his grief, Joseph gives himself completely to the ministry, doing works of mercy and preaching in the Plymouth Baptist Church. He lived simply and obscurely in Port Hope, Canada, making window frames and giving alms to the needy. He was described as "a man of small stature, with gray hair and bright blue eyes that sparkled when he spoke." Ira Sansky later wrote of him: “Almost until his death, no one suspected that Joseph had the gift of a poet. Once a neighbor, while at his house, when Scriven was ill, saw a written copy: "What a Friend we have." After reading the verses, he delightedly asked Joseph about them. He only replied that together with the Lord he wrote them for his mother when she was in a crisis. Scriven then did not suspect that that anthem became widely known in Europe. On October 10, 1896, Joseph died. Photo by Joseph Scriven

The Slavic Evangelical Baptist Brotherhood for its relatively short existence (136 years) is the owner of the most valuable heritage of spiritual singing. If we count the number of collections in which gospel hymns are collected, then there are probably fifty of them. This is the earliest collection "Offering to Orthodox Christians" (1862-1872), "Voice of Faith" (1882), "Gusli" (1903), "Ten Collection", which included nine more collections along with "Gusli" (" Songs of a Christian", "Tympany", "Cymbals", ... "New tunes, etc.), "Songs of Joy and Victory", "Songs of Zion", "New Gospel Songs", "Harp" (in Ukrainian. language) and many other music collections in Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian languages. You can't count them all. Collections "Song of the Renaissance" (1124, 2001 and 2500 songs and hymns). And how many collections of youth chants for solo, duet, quartet, quintet!

These collections contain many translated hymns from gospel hymns by Western authors: Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist.

The authors of many of them are not known to us, nor is the history of their writing known. But lately, some researchers have taken it upon themselves to tell us about the hymns we love most that came from the West. We learned about the authors of such hymns that are sung in all churches: "Nearer, Lord, to you" ("Song of Rebirth", No. 22), "Take me from now on and ahead ..." (No. 694), "Oh, grace ! Saved by Thee..." (No. 1684), "Quiet night, wondrous night..." (No. 590), "Full of love for my soul..." (No. 78). Probably, these hymns will not cease to sound in our local churches in the Motherland and in the churches of the Russian diaspora, the diaspora is not yet a decade, and maybe even a century.

What's so great about them? This is, first of all, the simplicity and spirituality of the content. Read their content with concentration and you will understand their spiritual beauty.

Now a few words about our hymns, born in the environment of the Slavic Evangelical Baptist brotherhood.

To begin with, I would like to draw attention to such hymns, especially beloved in our brotherhood: "Lord! Be with us" (No. 16), "Wonderful Lake of Gennesaret" (No. 698), "Jesus, Savior of Souls" (No. 50) , "You are for me, Savior" (No. 138), "When trials overcome you" (No. 553), "God, You see suffering" (No. 580). You will not find anything about their authorship in published collections, not to mention the history of their writing.

The prayer hymn "Lord! Be with us" was written back in the 80s of the 19th century by brother-evangelist N. M. Chetvernin. This is one of the pioneers of the evangelical awakening in Russia. For the first time this hymn appeared on the pages of the printed organ of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in the magazine "Conversation" in 1891. N. M. Chetvernin was, perhaps, the first of those who came to believe in the Saratov province, in the city of Turki. He was a participant in the first congresses of Russian Baptists in Russia in the 1980s. They wrote only three or four hymns. In terms of poetry, he was not famous and did not strive for it, but in his hymns he expressed the most urgent need of the assembly of believers. He wrote with inspiration, as it was then noted, "with the anointing" (of the Holy Spirit). Therefore, this hymn is both tenacious and resounds in our churches for the second century. Let's delve into the meaning of the words:

"... Give unity in thoughts, kindle love in hearts! Spirit of meekness, humility in us revive You again!"

"Wonderful Lake of Gennesaret" is a prayer hymn written by brother-evangelist Pavel Burmistrov in the 20s of the last century. What else was written to them is unknown. But even if this hymn alone, how vital his words still sound today:

"Or is there a mold of doubt on us? Or is vanity oppressing us?

Or is it hard to see Christ in us from the turbulent life of unrest?" Isn't it a question of both our time and us, living in a country of well-being.

"Jesus, Savior of the soul..." The author of this prayer hymn is a modest worker in our brotherhood in 10-30 years, P. Ya. Datsko. He became a victim of Stalinist repressions during the hard times of the 30s. P. Ya. Datsko is one of those who, back in the 10s of the last century, worked among Christian youth together with F. I. Sanin, M. D. Timoshenko, N. V. Odintsov. He also wrote the anthem "You are for me, the Savior ..." and the Christmas hymn "Angelic singing sounds in heaven." Here, perhaps, is all that they wrote. But why do these hymns continue to sound in our local churches for nearly a hundred years now?

"Oh, keep in the midst of the storm of life, making the way to the end, So that I can reach the Fatherland and freely rest in it. You, the source of eternal life, can quench your thirst And you can live in the stream of the holy fatherland in my heart." “You were for me, Savior, having humbled yourself in a manger, You were a blind driver, you lived for the poor of the world,” we sing both on Christmas days and in any prayer service.

And here are two spiritual songs: "When trials overcome you" and "God, You see the suffering on my earthly path" - these are songs of consolation, personally suffered. Their author was V. P. Stepanov, an ardent preacher from the end of the 19th century until the end of the 1930s. These songs were written by him during the years of his stay in the Gulag camps, in the village of Dark behind barbed wire in the Khabarovsk Territory. In the post-war years, this village was renamed Svetly. During the hard times of the 1930s, these songs spread with incredible speed to many evangelical house churches and small groups.

Some suffering believers in those years lived in a tremulous expectation of the coming of Jesus Christ for the Church and in the silence of loneliness sang these beloved songs: "How dear to me is communion with the saints on earth, But even this pleasure is not always possible for me." Communion of believers was possible only, figuratively speaking, "in the catacombs", in random meetings in private apartments and, in most cases, secretly.

V.P. Stepanov was captured by the Chekists on his way to the next trip for the gospel and returned from it four years later, being isolated due to illness. There, in terrible barracks conditions, he wrote these songs. Stepanov died three months later in 1937 in the Voronezh hospital. Interesting memories of him are given by contemporaries. It was a preacher-singer. He accompanied each of his sermons with a song written by himself. Sometimes, as they said, he, going to the pulpit, was already singing loudly. His sermons were usually accompanied by the repentance of sinners.