This week, in our continuously-unfolding musical devotional, we hear the hymn that has become the anthem of our United Methodist tradition: “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” This rendition is offered by the members of our Glockenchor (children’s chime choir) under the direction of Heather Hunter.
The original hymn, penned by Charles Wesley, includes seventeen verses. The most well-known of these verses, of course, is the first one:
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise!
The glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace.
(United Methodist Hymnal #57)
Yet in Charles Wesley’s original text, the first verse (and along with it, the hymn’s title) was an altogether different one:
Glory to God, and praise and love
be ever, ever given,
by saints below and saints above,
the church in earth and heaven.
(United Methodist Hymnal #58)
Church, both “first verses” sound pretty good to me. So may you praise God as if you had a thousand tongues singing! May you join with the saints in heaven and those here on earth to sing God’s praises! And may glory and praise and love be ever, ever given.
Access the recording by clicking here
As you life up your praises with our children’s chimers, may you remember:
Our God is bigger than coronavirus.
Our vision is bigger than coronavirus, too.
We are people blessing people.
We are Wesley Church.
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