Hymns of Note — Rejoice
How can hymns help us better center on and celebrate Christ? In Hymns of Note - Rejoice, William Long presents stories, inspiration, and devotionals from treasured hymns.
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Written in the Summer of 2021, three years after the first Hymns of Note volume was published, this book has the context of a global pandemic in mind. But Long is clear in his introduction: “we need hymns now, as much as we ever have.”
I wholeheartedly agree. The book opens with O Come O Come Emmanuel, a fitting first during this Christmas season. Long is informative in his commentary, sharing about the background of the hymn. But he is also devotional - calling us to put away our distractions as we focus on Christ’s arrival. His call to celebrate in song is welcomed and appreciated.
Before the Throne of God Above
Each hymn features sketches of the composers, words and music attributions, the date of the composition, full lyrics, a Scripture verse for reflection, and devotional commentary. This volume features And Can it Be, Amazing Grace, Silent Night, Abide With Me, Crown Him With Many Crowns, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, The Love of God, and many more.
I was most delighted to see Before the Throne of God Above included in the selections. Long mentions that modern songwriter Vikki Cook has composed her own arrangement for the lyrics, and it was fascinating to see the story of the original, long beloved hymn.
A Beautiful Call to Worship
The end of the book features Long’s 7-step process for writing a hymn. He includes his own 2021 hymn, I Will Not Fear, along with the Scripture references that influenced each line. This book is a beautiful call to worship, and a reminder that we have so much more to write and sing about our Savior.
I received a media copy of Hymns of Note - Rejoice and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.