I`m drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry;
O yes! I`m feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply,
For I am dwelling in Beulah Land."
(In the Public Domain)
Spending time looking for churches to photograph led me to want to wander again through the hymnbook of my childhood - the old, brown Cokesbury Worship Hymnal. My copy is so dog-eared and fragile, I am almost afraid to use it any more. It was given to me 51 years ago, when I began playing the piano at my first church - Dendron Methodist Church - in Dendron, VA (I was 12 - you do the math!). The first few pages are missing - it now starts with page 6 - so I don't know the date of publication. But, it was already well-used before I got it all those years ago. I have always cherished it because it has some of the old songs we don't sing any more - songs I remember one of our pastors singing, like "Others", and "Ivory Palaces". Maybe its because I am getting older, or maybe it is just natural to remember simpler times, but I find myself longing to sing the old hymns again. Maybe I am not the only one - maybe there are others out there who would love to hear those old hymns. I can still play my piano, and sing the songs, but there is something special about singing them with a group of like-minded people, in a beautiful old church like this one I photographed last week.
May your Sunday be blessed beyond measure and may you enjoy remembering the hymns of your youth!
9 comments:
Wishing you a good Sunday too Linda! That is a pretty church with lovely windows and the sky and leafless trees are a great background.
Nice shot Linda...lucky Lady knowing how to play the piano...something I always wanted to do. I am with you about the old hymns of days gone by. Going to the contemporary service at my church we don't often sing the old hmyns...it's all the newer christian songs. Hope your Sunday is a blessed one!
A beautiful old church... and one of my favorite hymns. Every Memorial Day weekend my family heads to the coast for a missions conference. Praise and worship time is amazing. So many voices booming to Him. It's powerful. And when we sing Beulah Land... WOW!
Blessings, Debbie
I can identify, Linda, although the hymn book I played from was a Baptist Hymnal. I loved those old songs!
Sometimes I remember having chills just hearing everyone singing together.
Nice post, Linda! Your church is pretty. I wish I could sing and play the piano. Happy Sunday!
my mother-in-law's name is Beulah and when my father-in-law passed a few months ago he had left copies of the music for Beulah Land as well as a request that the song be song at his funeral. A Group of the grandchildren formed a choir and sang it. I don't think there was a dry eye in the congregation. A beautiful hymn, and a lovely post. I think hymns are so comforting.
This old Methodist gal has sung many a hymn out of the Cokesbury. My favorite from that book? I've Got A Mansion...preferably sung fast.
Lovely post. Robert in Athens hosts a Psalm Sunday meme, which you may be interested to join!
http://tagein-tagaus-athen.blogspot.com/
We don't sing about Beulah Land anymore. I guess we do. We just don't call it that. I love Ivory Palaces. I used to play it on the piano and we sang it in church a lot in the "old days". Thank you for sharing on Spiritual Sundays and thanks for the memories.
Blessings,
Charlotte
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