Hymns. We sing hymns written hundreds – in some cases thousands of years ago. They come from all over the world, from all different cultures and languages. They were (and are) written by men and women of all different ages from many occupations and backgrounds.
Would you like to look at this remarkable heritage in a whole new way? Then you should check out my Dad’s blog!
That’s right, my Dad (Robert Cottrill) just recently started a blog, called Wordwise Hymns. And here’s the plan – for a whole year, to post a hymn fact for the day – ending up with a one-of-a-kind hymn almanac.
For example, maybe it’s a day a hymn writer was born, or died, or when some other significant event happened. You’ll learn some background about a hymn that you never knew before.
My Dad is drawing on years of study and resources, and so you’ll be guaranteed to learn something you’ve never heard before.
One of my favourites so far, the story of Margaret Clarkson, author of "So Send I You":
Margaret Clarkson was born in Melville, Saskatchewan, a small city on the western prairies of Canada. She was a school teacher, an acclaimed author (of 17 books), and a hymn writer. I met her around 1985, and found her to be a sharp, no-nonsense kind of person. (I wondered if she could be a bit of a tyrant when she taught school!) … (continue)
And one of the most remarkable hymn stories is the one about Robert Robinson, whose life was turned around by his own hymn!
So if you like hymns, you’ll love these facts and thoughts about well known and lesser known hymns. It’s going to be a great resource.
And wait for it – my Dad is also publishing a book about Christmas carols, scheduled to come out in time for the Christmas season! Stay tuned for more on that.
Meanwhile, go visit Wordwise Hymns, and be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed!