Blest be the Tie that Binds
This Sunday, we will be singing the hymn “Blest be the Tie that Binds.” The following is an introduction that will be read prior to our singing.
An orphan at the age of twelve, John Fawcett became apprenticed to a tailor and was largely self-educated. He was affected by the preaching of George Whitefield at the age of sixteen and began preaching soon thereafter. In 1765 Fawcett was called to serve a small, poor, country church in Wainsgate, Yorkshire (England). Seven years later he received a call from the large and influential Carter’s Lane Church in London, England. Fawcett accepted the call and preached his farewell sermon.
Seated on packed cases, Fawcett and his wife could not restrain their tears. They and the church members were remembering the times when he had stood with a family mourning the death of a loved one, or with a young husband as he anxiously awaited the arrival of his firstborn. Perhaps still fresh in their minds were the times when Pastor John had taken his Bible and, quietly and earnestly, shown the way of salvation to a lost one; or perhaps the times when he had preached in the little church and the Holy Spirit had visited them in a special way. None of these memories could be brushed from their minds, nor did they want them to be.
Finally, Mrs. Fawcett tearfully told her husband, “I cannot bear to leave. How can we go?” He confessed that he had the same feelings. Abruptly, he ordered the men to unload the wagons. It is this experience that became the basis for the hymn “Blest be the Tie that Binds.”
Written in 1772, Fawcett titled this hymn “Brotherly Love.” It is essentially about the communion of saints, bound together in love (st. 1), united in worship (st. 2), sharing each other’s burdens (st. 3), and encouraging each other with the hope of eternal life in glory, where we will be reunited with departed friends and freed “from sorrow, toil, and pain and sin” (st. 4-6).
Fawcett wrote most of his hymns to be sung by his congregation at the conclusion of the sermon. He frequently apologized to “persons of an elevated genius” for his “plain verses” but expressed the hope that they would edify “humble Christians.”
Despite his growing reputation as an outstanding evangelical preacher, scholar, and writer, it is estimated that Fawcett’s salary never rose above the equivalent of $200 a year. Yet out of genuine Christian love for his people, Fawcett stayed and ministered to their needs for 54 years.
“Blest be the Tie that Binds” draws from Acts 4:32, Gal. 3:28 and Gal. 6:2.
Information gathered from:
- http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/PsH/315
- Christianity Today International/Today’s Christian magazine. March/April 2008, Vol. 46, No. 2, Page 11
- Lindsay Terry’s book, The Sacrifice of Praise: Stories Behind the Greatest Praise and Worship Songs of All Time (Integrity).
Let me use disappointment as material for patience.
Take My Life and Let it Be!!!
August 30, 2008 at 9:15 pm · Filed under Chris Tomlin, Hymns ·Tagged Chris Tomlin, Frances Havergal, Hymn, Song Ideas, Take My Life and Let it Be
Take my Life and Let it Be!
That’s not what I’d call a good title for a hymn. However, the very next line puts everything into context:
“Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.”
Ahh… Now it makes sense. In fact the entire song is about surrender, commitment & offering.
Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.
You will note that every line starts with the same phrase – a very contemporary approach!
We plan on singing this hymn on Sept 14th in our church. Our Pastor will precede it with this introduction:
The hymn, “Take My Life and Let it Be” was written by an unusual woman named Frances Havergal (1836-1879). The daughter of a minister, she mastered Greek and Hebrew to read the scriptures in their original languages. Having grown up in England, she traveled in Europe and enjoyed skiing in the Swiss Alps –– an unusual recreation in the nineteenth century. She was also an accomplished singer who sometimes sang with the Philharmonic.
Because her voice was lovely, Frances was in demand as a concert soloist. With all her education, however, Frances Havergal maintained a simple faith and confidence in the Lord. She never wrote a line of poetry without praying over it.
Frances had begun reading and memorizing the Bible at the age of four (eventually memorizing The Psalms, Isaiah and most of the New Testament). At seven she wrote her first poetry.
At age 36, she spent five days with a small group of people, some of whom were not Christians, and others of whom were lukewarm. She spent those five days witnessing to them and praying for them, and was delighted to see her prayers answered. By the end of that week, all ten people had devoted themselves to Christ; thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit working through Frances. That night, too excited to sleep, Havergal sat up writing the hymn, “Take My Life and Let It Be.”
Her devotion to Christ took many shapes. For one, she quit singing in secular venues and devoted herself to Christian music. For another, she donated her collection of jewelry to a missionary society to raise money for mission endeavors (hence the lyric “take my silver and my gold; not a mite will I withhold”). But those were merely minor notes in the symphony of devotion that was Frances Havergal’s life.
During the Offering, our choir/praise team will sing Chris Tomlin’s version of the same song. You can hear it here:
It’s basically the same song but Tomlin has added a chorus with the following lyrics:
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it’s all for thee.
A simple, but nice sentiment to add to an already wonderful hymn.
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