I learned the tune before I learned this hymn. The first time I sang it was with my cousin Erik on Christmas night of 1996. Erik had a really turbulent life and that Christmas was the first time I had seen him in 4 years. In that span of time, he got religion and he and I were sitting in the living room singing while he played guitar. He died in June of 2011 and it’s one of my happy memories of him.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o??er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o??er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
??Tis an ocean full of blessing, ??tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ??tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
(HT: Net Hymnal)

The group Selah did a recording of the song (which is the most popular result if you do a search on YouTube) but I prefer congregational singing. In this particular video, it’s the Moody Men’s Choir singing as part of a worship service and I love the deep voices of the men which are slightly audible over the congregation’s singing.

Confession: I learned this hymn from Sister Act.

Despite this, I actually like it in its traditional sung form, both Latin and English. 🙂

The Latin words:

Salve Regina coelitum, O Maria!
Sors unica terrigenum, O Maria!

Jubilate, Cherubim,
Exsultate, Seraphim!
Consonante perpetim:
Salve, Salve, Salve Regina.

Mater misericordiae, O Maria!
Dulcis parens clementiae, O Maria!

Jubilate, Cherubim,
Exsultate, Seraphim!
Consonante perpetim:
Salve, Salve, Salve Regina.
(HT: AveMariaSongs.Org)

Here is Beth Nielsen Chapman’s lovely and reverent version:

Here is the version from Sister Act sung by a female acapella group at Brown University:

We used to sing this in Intervarsity. It was written by John Foley S.J. and singing it at Celebration (now called Kairos) is one of my good memories. I love the minor key and the simplicity of it.

Refrain: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Blessed be the Lord.

Verses
1. I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord,
who will hear the cry of the poor.

2. Let the lowly hear and be glad,
the Lord listens to their pleas;
and to hearts broken God is near,
who will hear the cry of the poor.

3. Ev??ry spirit crushed, God will save;
will be ransom for their lives;
will be safe shelter for their fears,
and will hear the cry of the poor.

4. We proclaim your greatness, oh God,
your praise ever in our mouth;
every face brightened in your light,
for you hear the cry of the poor.
(HT: DragonMommie’s World)

The recording of the song that I own is by John Michael Talbot so I searched for one by him. I found one by the Brothers of St. Gabriel in Malaysia and Singapore that I like better though.

This is one of my favorites from Good Shepherd Sunday which is usually around the last Sunday in April unless Easter is late. It doesn’t contain the A-word (Alleluia) so it’s also possible to do during Lent or whenever the John 10 reading comes up for the Gospel.

The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want.
he makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.

My soul he doth restore again;
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
even for his own Name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
yet will I fear no ill;
for thou art with me; and thy rod
and staff my comfort still.

My table thou hast furnished
in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me;
and in God’s house forevermore
my dwelling place shall be.
(HT: Oremus)

The normal tune is apparently “Crimond” but I learned it to the tune of “Brother James Air” so I had to scour YouTube to find a video that didn’t completely screw it up.

This is a hymn by the prolific hymn writer Fanny Crosby. At the time of her death, she had written something like 6000 hymns. It’s one that I associate with the evangelical camp meeting type of worship — it wasn’t in the Lutheran Book of Worship though I think it’s probably in the new cranberry-colored hymnal (which I don’t like).

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine:
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation purchase of God;
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood:

This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love:

This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest –
I in my Savior am happy and blest –
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.

This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior, all the day long.
(HT: Oremus)

I decided to go with the Third Day version of the hymn.

I know I shared this hymn last year but Unapologetically Episcopalian shared a video of the hymn this morning. When I went to look it up on Net Hymnal, I found out that the words are a par?a?phrase of the an?cient He?brew Yig?dal or doxology. The tune is one that the writer heard sung in a synagogue by a young woman named Leoni.

The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days, and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM! by earth and Heav??n confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred Name forever blessed.

The God of Abraham praise, at Whose supreme command
From earth I rise??and seek the joys at His right hand;
I all on earth forsake, its wisdom, fame, and power;
And Him my only Portion make, my Shield and Tower.

The God of Abraham praise, whose all sufficient grace
Shall guide me all my happy days, in all my ways.
He calls a worm His friend, He calls Himself my God!
And He shall save me to the end, thro?? Jesus?? blood.

He by Himself has sworn; I on His oath depend,
I shall, on eagle wings upborne, to Heav??n ascend.
I shall behold His face; I shall His power adore,
And sing the wonders of His grace forevermore.

Tho?? nature??s strength decay, and earth and hell withstand,
To Canaan??s bounds I urge my way, at His command.
The wat??ry deep I pass, with Jesus in my view;
And thro?? the howling wilderness my way pursue.

The goodly land I see, with peace and plenty bless??d;
A land of sacred liberty, and endless rest.
There milk and honey flow, and oil and wine abound,
And trees of life forever grow with mercy crowned.

There dwells the Lord our King, the Lord our righteousness,
Triumphant o??er the world and sin, the Prince of peace;
On Sion??s sacred height His kingdom still maintains,
And glorious with His saints in light forever reigns.

He keeps His own secure, He guards them by His side,
Arrays in garments, white and pure, His spotless bride:
With streams of sacred bliss, with groves of living joys??
With all the fruits of Paradise, He still supplies.

Before the great Three-One they all exulting stand;
And tell the wonders He hath done, through all their land:
The list??ning spheres attend, and swell the growing fame;
And sing, in songs which never end, the wondrous Name.

The God Who reigns on high the great archangels sing,
And ??Holy, holy, holy!?? cry, ??Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be:
Jehovah??Father??great I AM, we worship Thee!??

Before the Savior??s face the ransomed nations bow;
O??erwhelmed at His almighty grace, forever new:
He shows His prints of love??they kindle to a flame!
And sound thro?? all the worlds above the slaughtered Lamb.

The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high;
??Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,?? they ever cry.
Hail, Abraham??s God, and mine! (I join the heav??nly lays,)
All might and majesty are Thine, and endless praise.
(HT: Net Hymnal)

The video shared by Unapologetically Episcopalian is lovely but I prefer hymns done by a congregation so I chose this one.