Hymn of the Month

For the past 8 years of homeschooling, we have always begun our school days with Bible reading and a hymn. Each month, we sing a different hymn so that we can learn all the stanzas together. Sometimes we read about the history of the hymn and the author. It has been a wonderful way to start our days singing a hymn of praise to the Lord!

Last month, we just got a new hymn book, the Trinity Hymnal, that our church uses. Since we became Presbyterians over a year ago, we've had to learn many, many new hymns! I don't think we've had a Sunday since we've been there that there wasn't at least one unfamiliar song sung - sometimes all the hymns are unfamiliar!!! (Presbyterians sing different hymns!)

So my goal is to learn some of these "new" yet very old hymns. Joel picked our hymn for this month which is new to us: "Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness" by Ludwig von Zinzendorf, 1739,

Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are,
My glorious dress;
'Midst flaming worlds,
In these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear,
From guilt and shame.

When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev'n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived,
Hath died, for me.

Jesus, be endless praise to thee,
whose boundless mercy hath for me -
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.

O let the dead now hear thy voice;
Now bid thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this,
Their glorious dress,
Jesus, the blood and righteousness.