The Nation’s Favourite Hymns!

I love hymns. I have a special fondness for the good old belters of Wesley and Watts and all the others that subscribe to the school of ‘loud, rapturous, all-praising hymns are best’.I love having a good loud sing on a Sunday. I love the words, the praise, the urge to wave hands about and leap up and down. I go to a Methodist Church that, although not frowning on such behaviour, just doesn’t do it. (Sometimes I hate the Englishness of my Church). Most people know a handful of hymns. Had to sing them at school perhaps, or maybe you’re an Easter-Christmas Churchgoer. We all have a favourite. I have hundreds!

Imagine my delight when I found The NBA Channel on Youtube. The NBA is The Northern Baptist Association. Their Youtube channel has a handful of videos of raucously voiced people belting out good solid hymns like ‘Will your Anchor Hold?’ and ‘And Can It Be’. Wonderful stuff! And they sound so happy… none of this pathetic ‘I’m too shy to sing’ that I seem to find in every Anglican Church I go to. No, this bunch really belt it out. And good for them! I listen to their music when writing sermons and these posts.

I’m finally getting to the point of this post…

Songs of Praise surveyed people to find out ‘The Nation’s Favourite Hymns’. In fact, they did it in 2005. But I’m behind the times. They are as follows:

1 – How Great Thou Art - Oh I do love this! I’m having it as my ‘Membership Hymn’

2 – Dear Lord and Father of Mankind - Another goodie but I don’t think the original author, John Greenleaf Whittier, would be too happy!

3 – The Day Thou Gavest

4 – Be Thou My Vision - Another brilliant one. But can drag if your organist makes ‘slowly’ sound ‘funereal’

5 – Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - This is one that I do not like. I don’t think it’s particularly appropriate for weddings.

6 – Be Still, For The Presence Of The Lord

7 – Make Me A Channel - Another that can be funereal but a goodie.

8 – Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer - I used to like this, until my mum said she wanted it at her Funeral. That rather spoiled if for me.

9 – In Christ Alone – Reminds me of being at uni.

10 – Shine, Jesus, Shine – Oh dear. The epitome of 1980s Happy Clappy Christianity. It’s good – but not brilliant. My fiancé wants it at the wedding. It is too early to start putting my foot down?

 

So there you have it! And now, for your delectation, one of my favourite hymns, sung by The NBA.