Over the course of two millennia, the Christian tradition has generated some of the finest pieces of poetic reflection on the nature and meaning of Christian faith that exist only in dusty hymnals published more than a century ago.
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
and make our hearts your place of rest;
come with your grace and heav'nly aid,
and fill the hearts which you have made. (8th century, Rabanus Maurus)Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found. (1776, John Stocker)Author of the new creation,
Giver of the second birth
May thy ceaseless renovation
Cleanse our souls from stains of earth (1866, Samuel Stone)Wave, woods, your blossoms all, Grim Death is dead!
Ye weeping funeral trees lift up your head!
Christ is risen! (1850, Thomas Blackburne)
Written by pastors, monks, nuns, priests, doctors, philosophers, and more than a few lay folk of a wide theological range, these sacred hymn texts are rarely, if ever, found in denominational hymnals and are not being recorded by award-winning authors of modern anthemic pop worship songs.
As such, they are something of an endangered species that may have eventually gone extinct were it not for the tireless work of Bruce Benedict and the Cardiphonia collective of musicians and artists who are working to re-establish these texts in the life of the modern church.
Bruce and his talented colleagues across the world have collaborated to set many forgotten hymn texts to newer, more accessible folk and pop tunes and in the process, they have re-established these durable theological poems in the hearts and minds of the church.
We are thrilled to be able to feature Bruce and his musical work with the Retuned Hymn Project as the inaugural guest for new bi-annual series at the First Presbyterian Church of Flint called “An Evening With...” on Friday, February 5. Doors open at 5PM; event begins at 6PM. This event is free of charge!