INTRODUCTION

The following sketches were written in the fall of 2000 and spring of 2001 for the Redeemer Lutheran Church Ladies’ Group, Sister Lakes, Michigan. They are compiled here in one booklet for ease of reading and study.

Thanks be to God for the poetry brought to our worship through the hymn-writers presented here!

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16

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nn o o w h y n o r e r o r r n v n o n w f n h h h e n n I S h o t B A i t i F li F T t h r T e p b g e s h e T S w L a In 1808 her hymns were published in the United S tates for the first (or in what form) Christ’s body and blood i s together with the br ead time and have enjoyed popularity to this day. In 1908 one cr i t i c s ai d, and wine in communion, but that is what God’s Word s ays we ar e “Among Baptist hymn-writers Miss S teele s t ands at the head, if we receiving. regard either the number of her hymns which have found a place in the hymnals of the last 120 years, or the frequency with which they have Although the Baptists have these difficulties, they do confess and trust been sung . . . they are al mos t uniformly simple i n language, natural in Christ as their S avior from sin. T hey are a Chr i s t i an church and and pl eas i ng i n imagery, and f ull of general Christian feeling.” there is every indication that Anne S t eel e t oo believed on the L or d Jesus Christ and w as saved! Anne S teel e died on November 11, 1778 (age 61) and w as buried i n the same village where she had been born. It is reported t hat her last T o our Redeemer ’s glorious name Aw ak e t he s acr ed s ong. words were “I know that my Redeemer lives.” On her tombstone are Oh, may His love i mmortal flame, T une ev’r y heart and t ongue! these w or ds : Dear Lord, while w e ador i ng pay Our humble t hank s to T hee, “S ilent the l yr e, and dumb t he t unef ul tongue, May every heart with rapture s ay, “T he S avi or died f or me!” T hat sung on earth her great Redeemer ’s praise; But now in heaven s he j oi ns the angelic s ong, In more har moni ous , more ex al t ed l ays . ”

In the Lutheran Hymnal Anne S teel e’s work is represented by the following:

141. Enslaved by S in and B ound i n Chains 281. T he S avi or Calls; Let Every Ear 284. Father of Mercies, in T hy Word 363. T o Our Redeemer ’s Glorious Name 579. Almighty Lord, Before T hy T hrone

Religious Views

Miss S teel e was born and raised Baptist. In general, this church does For Further T hought not follow S criptural teaching on Baptism and the Lord’s S upper . You may have not i ced t hat Anne w as not baptized until she was 15. T he Read Deuteronomy 8:11-20. What does v16 say about the reason church holds that children must reach a certain age before they are to God allowed har ds hi p t o come t o the I s r aelites? be baptized. T his reflects a mi s under s t andi ng of what baptism really is. T he B i bl e calls it a “ w as hi ng of regeneration and r enew i ng of the What tests does the L or d allow into your own life? How have Holy Ghost” (T it 3:5). T hrough baptis m, God gi ves forgiveness of sins they made you stronger? Have t hey driven you toward H i s Word? which is for everyone. T hat is why Jesus told H i s disciples to baptiz e “all nations.” Baptism is something that God gi ves to us , not a l aw What do Acts 2:38-39 and 1 Peter 3:21 say about the power of that we must fulfill for God. With the L or d’s Supper , the B apt i s t s Baptism? generally understand the bread and wine to be only symbols of Christ’s body and blood. Yet Jesus said ver y clearly, “T ake eat . . . this is my body . . . T ake drink . . . this is my blood. ” We don’t understand how was the fact that she might not be able to get an education like FRANCES JANE other children. “FANNY” CROSBY (1820-1915) 1828 Her first recorded poetr y (on the s ubj ect of her blindness):

“O what a h appy soul and I ! Much of our familiar Christian Although I cannot see, hymns have come to us by way of I am r esol ved that i n thi s world, England— often through women contented I will be. such as Katherine Winkworth and How many blessings I enjoy, Anne Steel e. Here in Fanny Crosby, that other people don’t. however, we have an Ameri can to To weep and s i gh because I ’m blind, show us that the L or d was blessing I cannot and I won’t!” His people with gifted talent in the new world as well. She wr ote Two great blind poets of history, Homer and Milton, were to be nearly 9,000 hymns, making her the joined by another, Fanny Crosby. Fanny would later become known most prolific hymn writer of all as the “H ymn Queen” and the “B lind Poetess.” time. 1829 The Crosby family moved to Ridgefield, CT. Since her mother Biographical Sketch had to work to support the family, Fanny spent a l ot of time with her grandmother. Grandma introduced the young girl to 1820 March 24th marked the beginni ng of life for Frances Jane the Bible and she began to read the Scriptures feverishly. Crosby. She was born in a small one-story cottage near New Blessed with an amazing photographic memory, it i s York City. Tragedy came to her early. When she was six week s documented that Fanny could recite from memory the old she caught a slight cold in her eyes. The family doctor was Pentateuch, the book of Ruth, most of the Ps al ms , Proverbs, not in town at the time, so another country doctor was called Song of Solomon, and much of the N ew T estament. in to prescribe treatment. The man was completely incompetent. He recommended that hot mustard poultices be 1835 An exciting announcement is made that Fanny’ s mother was applied to the infant’s eyes. The result was permanent able to send her to a special school , the I ns ti tuti on for the rd blindness, although she woul d never harbor any resentment Blind in New York City. On March 3 the j our ney was made toward the man who had ruined her sight. She s ai d i ns tead, from Ridgefield by stagecoach and boat. During her years as “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one a student, she wrote more and more poetry. Although her petition, it would have been that I should have been born teachers did not particularly encourage her, many others did. blind . . . because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall One day a Dr. Combe of Boston came to visit the students. Of ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.” her he said, “And here is a poetess. Give to her every possible encouragement. Read the best books to her and teach her the 1825 Still praying that her child coul d r egai n her sight, Fanny’s finest that is in poetry. You will hear from thi s young l ady mother took her to the bes t eye s peci alist i n the countr y, Dr. someday.” Poetry she woul d wr i te. Valentine Mott. Many friends and relatives helped pay for the visit. Nevertheless, the doctor pronounced the verdict that she would never see again. What bothered Fanny most, however, 1843 At the age of 23, Fanny was invited to speak before the United be written by only one person! Altogether, Fanny Crosby States Congress on behalf of her school . (The school was wrote under more than 200 pen names. seek i ng federal funding to continue its work.) She pai d tr i bute to Congress in a poem and then began paying tr i bute to the 1864-1909 These years marked the majority of her hymn-writing. Lord by reciting poems about the car e of her loving S avi or . She was an emotional poet who tried to write clearly Among those present to hear her addr ess were s uch notables and powerfully so children could understand. She also as John Quincy Adams and Jefferson Davis. It is said that her wrote many devotional (prose) books during these words were so moving that there was scarcely a dry eye in the years. room when she was finished. After this, she began to make friends with many of the great political and religious leaders of 1910 She declared, “My love for the Holy Bible and its sacred truth her day. During her lifetime s he was personally acquainted is stronger and mor e pr eci ous to me at ni nety than at with al l the pr es i dents except George W as hi ngton (John nineteen. ” Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, 1915 On February 11th in the evening she penned her last lines in a William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary note of comfort to a s orrowing f r i end whos e daughter had Taylor, Millard F illmore, James Buchanan, Abraham L i ncol n, recently died. “You will reach the river brink, some sweet day, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses Grant, Rutherford Hayes, James bye and bye.” Fanny went to be with the Lord herself just Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin hours later at about 3:00am on February 12th, just short of her Harrison, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevel t, William 95th birthday. She was buried i n Bri dgeport, CT. Howard Taft, Woodr ow Wilson). She enjoyed especially close friendships with Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk, and Religious Views Cleveland. Many of the pr es i dents came to vi si t the I ns ti tute Fanny Crosby was a member of the for the B lind. Methodist Church most of her life. Although she placed undue emphasis at times on her 1844 Her first book was published— The Blind Girl and Other “day of conversion” and was subject to Poems. other influence fr om the R efor med churches, she knew and trusted in the Lord 1847 Fanny became an i nstructor at the I ns ti tute. Jesus for salvation.

1851 Attendi ng a r ev i v al service in New York City, Fanny devoted Famous H ymns Fanny Crosby in her study her life and wor k to the L or d. She became a f ai t h f u l member Her two most famous works are Safe in the of St. John’s Methodist Epi scopal Church i n New York City. Arms of Jesus and Blessed Assurance. In a poll taken of the favor i te Christian hymns of all time, Blessed Assurance ranked hi ghl y at 1858 March 5th saw her married to Alexander VanAlstyne. It was a number twelve. Unfortunately, none of Crosby’s hymns are happy marriage that would continue until his death 44 years represented i n The L uther an H ymnal . later. Alexander was a gifted musician who would write tunes for his wife’s many hymns. By the ti me of her marriage, she Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! was already well known as a w r i t er of religious poetry. O what a f or et as t e of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, 1864 She was under contract wi th her publisher (Bigelow & Main Born of his spirit, washed i n hi s blood. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. Co.) to write three hymns per week . They began to use pen names for her so that their hymn collections did not appear to that was all. As her acting ability faded, she began to f ocus S ARAH FULLER FLOWER ADAMS more on her writing and became a good friend of the well known (1805-1848) English poet Robert Browning.

LOVE O L ove! thou makes t all things In 1841, her five act dramatic poem Vivia Perpetua was even published. It was a poem about the ear l y Christian martyrs . In In earth or heaven; 1845 another book, T he Flock at the Fountain was made Finding thy way through pris on-bars available to the public. S he al s o wrote a children’s catechism Up t o the s t ar s ; and some hymns. S arah Adams did not have t he s ame vol ume Or, true t o the Al mi ght y plan, of work as some of the ot her hymnists (e.g. Anne S t eel e or T hat out of dust created man, Frances Havergal) but one that she wrote has become as famous T hou lookes t in a gr av e, —to s ee T hi ne i mmortality! as any in the w or l d.

Poor health was finally to claim the lives of S arah and her sister A DELICAT E LIFE Eliza. In 1846, Eliza w as struck with tuberculos is and her sister rushed to her bedside t o help. It was a l ong illness until Eliza S arah Flower Adams is another in passed away in December, and i t proved t o be t oo much for the long line of English women who have had a noticeable S arah who contracted the disease as well. On Augus t 14, influence on Christian poetry and hymn writing even down to the 1848, she passed away at S t. Martin in the F i el ds , Middl es ex , present day. S he w as born on February 22, 1805, at Harlow, England. At both Eliza’s funeral and S ar ah’s , the hy mns sung Essex, England. Her father, Benjamin Flower, was a j our nalist were by them— the w or ds by S arah and mus i c by Eliza. and politician. Her mother Eliza di ed i n 1810, but not before giving bi r th to another daughter (also named E liza). “T HE” HYMN

S arah and Eliza were blessed with gifts that complemented each T HE WORDS — As mentioned ear lier, Sarah Flower Adams other: Eliza w as a mus i ci an, and S ar ah was a poet . As you was to write one hymn that would live in the mi nds and on the might expect, one would write words and t he ot her would put lips of millions after her. T he hy mn was Nearer, my God, to them to mus ic. T hee (LH 533) written in 1841.

In 1834, Sarah married W illiam Bridges Adams, a civil engineer Whether it was the struggl es with her own health that prompted and an inventor. His work took them to L ondon where t hey her to pen the famous lines, we do not know for sure. It is not would live— and separated S arah from her sister. Nevertheless, likely, however, that such events weighed heavily on her mind the t w o remained ver y close. when she wrote it. At the t i me, Sarah and her sister were bus y writing and compiling music for a new hymn book. T hey worked Unfortunately, both daughters had inherited the “weakness” of at the r eques t of their Unitarian pas tor, William J . Fox. their mother. T hey were bot h frail young l adi es and of t en given to bouts of sickness. Once i n London, Sarah had hoped t o One day Fox was talking with the s i s t er s about his sermon for pursue a career in acting, but her health would not permit it. the nex t Sunday. He w as preaching on Genes is 28:10-22, the Around 1837 she was able to play Lady Macbeth on stage, but story of Jacob' s dream at Bethel. Eliza s ugges ted t hat Sarah write the story into verse, another hymn for the hymn book. In Jacob’s dream at Bethel, he in every movie made about the di s as t er . In all likelihood, the saw the angels of God goi ng band di d pl ay her hymn in addi t i on to others . up and down a ladder to heaven. S arah took from that the thought of being “close to God” and wrote these words: A second historical connection to this hymn involves President T he T itanic William McKinley who was shot on S eptember 6, 1901 and died Nearer, my God, to T hee, Nearer to T hee eight days later. T he attending phys i ci an reported t hat among E’en though it be a cr oss that raiseth me, McKinley’s last words were “‘Nearer, my God, to T hee, e’en S till all my song s hall be, Nearer my God, to T hee, though it be a cross,’ has been my constant prayer.” On the Nearer, my God, to T hee, Nearer to T hee. day of his funeral, after five minutes of silence across the T ho’ like a w ander er , T he s un gone dow n, Darkness be over me, My rest a s t one, nation, bands in Union and Yet in my dreams I’d be Near er , my God, to T hee, Madison S quares in New York Nearer, my God, to T hee, Nearer to T hee City played the hymn in memory of the fallen president. It was Four years after the text was first published in England, it made also played at a memorial service its appear ance in the United S t ates as part of James Freeman for him in Wes tmins ter Abbey, Clarke' sD isciples' Hymn Book published i n Bos ton. London.

President McKinley and hi s wife T HE T UNE— It is a bit unclear whether or not Eliza w r ot e a tune for these words of her sister’s. In England, it was sung IN CONCLUS ION to melodies by John B. Dykes and S ir Arthur S ullivan. In 1859 the compilers of a new hymnal asked Lowell Mason to write a S arah Flower Adams belonged to the Unitarian Church in new melody. He w r ot e t he t une Bethany which has been used England. T he U ni t ar i ans do not believe that Jesus Christ is the for it ever since. S on of God. You may have even noticed t he abs ence of any reference to Jesus in her most famous hymn. We can only hope T HE S T ORIES — T here are s ome i nt er es t i ng s tor i es that the f ai t h found i n her heart when s he di ed w as different associated with this hymn. T he f i r s t and mos t “mysterious” than what her church taught. How thankful we can be t hat we involves the T itanic disaster of 1912. On April 14th of that are i ndeed “Near er to God” because of Christ’s work. year the huge British passenger liner struck an iceberg and sank while on her way to New York. Over 1,500 lives were l os t . It was reported by some of the survivors that the s hi p’s band was playing S arah’s hymn Nearer, my God, to T hee as the ship went down. Although agreement is not unanimous by any means (other survivors report hearing other music, hence t he

“mystery”), this hymn is the one that has been attributed to the T itanic sinking ever since. It has made i t s appear ance dutifully FRANCES RIDLEY Growing in Grace In 1851 her father remarried, an event which ended up being a joy HAVERGAL to all. In 1852 the family moved to Germany for a year so that her (1836-1879) father, who was losing his sight, could see an eye-specialist. While the family was there, Frances attended a German school under the supervision of Pastor Kraft. Much to her dismay, she Although her life was short, Frances found no one among the 110 other students who were interested Havergal represents a shining candle in their S avior. It caused her to search the S criptures even more in the history of English hymn diligently and she grew in her knowledge of Christ and her trust writing. Her deep l ove f or the L or d in Him. Jesus is evident in her works which are k now n throughout the w or l d. Back in England, Frances and her lifelong friend Elizabeth Clay studied the S criptures together. T hey would take walks in the T he E ar ly Years country and repeat alternate verses with one anot her . Frances could recite all the Gospels, Epistles, Revelation, the Psalms, and Frances was born on December 14, 1836 at Astley Rectory in Isaiah from memory. During this time she also began teaching England, the youngest in a f amily of six children. Her father (a S unday S chool, to which her amazing memory was put to heavy musician) gave her the ni ck name “little qui ck s ilver” which use. Her chief objectives during this time were to teach these little described her childhood years quite accur at el y . S he was gifted in ones about their eternal life i n heaven with Jes us . intelligence and ability well beyond her years. Under the instruction of an older sister (Miriam), she was reading books by T he P oet r y age three and the Bible at age f our . In 1847, Frances lost her mother to illness. Before Mrs. Havergal died, however, she t ol d In 1865, at the age of 29, Miss Havergal returned to Germany to her daughter: “You are my youngest little gi r l , and I feel more visit friends she had met during her previous visit. She had been anxious about you than the r es t . I do pr ay for the H ol y Spirit to composing hymn verses and music for several years and her lead and guide you. And remember, nothing but the precious German friends talked her into s howing them to a man named blood of Christ can make y ou clean and l ovel y in God’s sight.” Hiller— a well-known composer of the day. At first she would not, but finally she w r ot e t o Hiller and he agr eed t o s ee her . After T he years that followed were difficult. From that time on, Frances looking at the music she had written, he asked what regular music thought often about the Lord and about His S on Jesus. S he knew professor she had had. When she answered none, he could hardly herself a helpless sinner. S he spent time reading her Bible, but just believe i t . Hiller himself began to popular ize her music. could not believe t hat Jesus had done such wonderful things for her.

In 1850 she went away to boarding school where t he pr i nci pal , Mrs. T eed, continued to bring her the word of God and the assurance that Jesus was her S avior. T hrough the w i t ness of Mrs. T eed and several classmates at the s chool, the H ol y Spirit worked firm conviction and trust in the heart of young Frances. T he y ear s of restlessness and di ssatisfaction were over . T hrough Many T rials “T ake My Life and L et it Be”

Miss Havergal was plagued w i t h ill health T he winter of 1877 and spring of 1878 were difficult times for much of her life. In 1866 her output of poetry Mrs. Havergal (Frances’ stepmother) and she passed away on May had slowed considerably due to her condition. 26, 1878. In 1879, the time came for Frances herself to be taken S he once wrote in a letter that “God’s crosses to the Lord Jesus. Having visited a sick sailor in a hos pi t al , she are often made of strange and unex pect ed contracted a fever. A week later on May 29th she was clearly material.” S he lived w i t h her sister for a t i me, dying as peritonitis set in. Her brother Frank came to be with her. but began to feel that she w as too much a S he asked him to sing to her Jerusalem, My Happy Home and burden. She did a bit of traveling during thi s together they sang How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds. A time, visiting L ondon and par t s of Scotland. rush of sickness then came upon her and she was gone. Her body is buried in Astley Churchyard i n England. On her headstone, by On Easter S unday, 1870, her beloved father suffered a stroke and her request, are t he w or ds of 1 John 1:7 T he Blood of Jesus passed away. Nevertheless, Frances and her stepmother did not Christ His Son Cleanseth Us From All Sin. sorrow as those w ho have no hope, but they knew he w as at home w i t h the L or d.

T he L at er Years T ake my life and l et it be Cons ecr at ed, Lord t o T hee; T ake my moments and my days, After the death of her father, she went to work collecting her Let them flow in ceas eless praise. hymns for publication in a volume titled Havergal’s Psalmody. S he also went on a hiking trip to S witzerland with her friend Elizabeth T ake my love, my Lord I pour At T hy feet its treasure s t or e; Clay. In Z ermatt, Switzerland, she t ells of bringing the Gospel of T ake my s el f , and I will be Jesus to a young waitress in a restaurant. In 1872, back again in Ever, only, all for T hee. England, she began to witness to laundry girls by going to the laundry itself. All the while, her publications of hymns and poetry continued. Under the S urface and Ministry of S ong were made available.

A Great Cloud of Witnesses

T he last years of her life were fully devoted to spreading the good news of Jesus’ work. S he wrote several devotional books which were published under her name (they are s t ill available t oday ). T here have been many hymn writers , but there have been few who have so entirely devoted themselves to sharing their faith as did Frances Havergal. T he Holy S pirit blessed her with a deep love for the Gospel and the courage to speak not only with her pen but with her mouth. S everal published collections of Jane Lees on’s are known Jane E liza L ees on (1807-1882) today. If you ever see one of them in a us ed book store, buy Anna H oppe (1889-1941) it! Copies are r ar e:

Anna M agdel ena M ey er (1867— ?) Infant Hymnings and Hymns and S cenes of Childhood, 1842 T he Child’s Book of Ballads, 1849 S ongs of Christian Chivalry, 1848 In our study of women in hymnody, we have been fortunate to Paraphrases and H ymns for Congregational Singing, 1853 have a l ot of information at our disposal. For those w ho wrote much, it seems as though much was written about them. Works of hers of which we would be more familiar include T LH Frances Havergal, for example, even authored an autobiography. 191 Christ the Lord is Risen T oday (translated by Lees on from T he s i t uat i on is different, however, for the t hr ee w omen listed the L at i n); and T L H 627 Gracious Savior, Gentle S hepher d. above. Information is sparse and pi ct ur es of them are di fficult to find. T hey came and w ent , not leaving i mpr essions with their Independent Study: lives, but with the poet r y they have gi ven the Chr i s t i an world. Jane Lees on claimed at times to be speaking by the H ol y S pirit when she wrote her hymns. In what sense coul d you JANE ELIZA LEESON say that she was speaking by the Holy S pirit? In what sense would you s ay that she probably was not? S ee i f these We know where she lived (E ngl and) and the years of her life passages help you come to your conclusions: 2 Pet 1:16-21; (1807-1882), but little else bey ond t hat . Appar ent l y she Jn 17:17; 1 Cor 12:3; 1 Jn 4:1; 1 Cor 12:1-12; 2 Cor 4:6. became a well known figure in the Catholic Apostolic Church, contributing nine hymns and translations to its hymn book. ANNA BERNADINE DOROT HY HOPPE Later in her life s he ent er ed t he R oman Catholic Chur ch. On May 7, 1889, Anna Hoppe was born to parents Albert and Appar ent l y Miss Lees on was a bit Pentecostal in her theology Emily in Milwaukee, WI. Early in her childhood s he w r ot e as well. S ome of her hymns were s uppos edl y produced as patriotic ver s es , but at the age of 25 she began to dedicate “prophetical utterances,” under the prompting of the Holy her talents to writing s pi r i tual poetry. S pirit. A fellow member of her congregation recorded one such event at a service in Bishopsgate Chur ch: “It was Lutheran in her theology and a member of the W i s cons i n delivered slowly, with short pauses between the verses, a S ynod, religious periodicals such as the Northwestern pause three times as long as anyone would ordinarily make in Lutheran began to print her hymns. (T he Northwestern reading. I have not known anyone w i t h s imilar gift; but I Lutheran is the Wisconsin S ynod’s equivalent of the CLC have heard of an improvisatore who far surpassed Mi ss S pokesman.) Lees on. S he onl y exercised her gift at long i nter val s and could choos e her own time and her own s ubject. He S he was basically self-educated. Her formal training i ncl uded improvised very freel y , much more rapidly, and on any subject only grade s chool. She ent er ed a bus i ness office and had a chosen for him by others.” few months of training at evening classes. Nevertheless, she worked hard at her jobs and at her hymns. Amid t he hus t l e and bus tl e of modern life s he w r ot e, “Many of my hymns have been written on my way to and from church and to and ANNA MAGDELENA MEYER from work. I utilize my lunch hours for typing the hy mns and keepi ng up correspondence. I used t o do quite a bi t of On November 14, 1867, Anna was born to Georg and Ottilie writing on S unday afternoons , but now we have a Laymen’s Plehn in Alt-Ruednitz, Neumark, Germany. Her father had Hour in our church at that time, and I do not like t o miss it. been the t eacher of a L ut her an S chool there s i nce 1859. I also attend our Fundamental Bible lectures, Jewish mission- meet i ngs , and the like. S till I find a mi nut e her e and t her e i n In 1869, Georg resigned from his position and moved hi s which to jot down s ome ver s e. ” family to America. He ent er ed t he Mi ssouri Synod S emi nar y at S t. Louis and was received into the pastoral ministry in Her output of hymns grew, and a collection was published 1871. T he f amily moved t o L ake R i dge, MI, and t hen to under the t i t l e S ongs of the Church Year. In 1930, the T ecumseh, MI, where he served congregations for short American Lutheran Hymnal included ei ght of her hymns. periods before accept i ng a call to a congregation in Chippew a Falls, WI where he s er ved f or 22 years. You can find Anna H oppe’s work in T he L ut her an Hymnal: #88 T his Night a W ondr ous Revelation (translated) In was at Chippew a Falls that Anna received her schooling, #419 O’er Jerusalem T hou Weepes t first at a Christian Day school and then at the l ocal high school— after which she taught high school for a number of years. S he married a pas t or by the name of Christian Meyer on July 25, 1893, in Howard, SD. T hey lived i n Nebras ka, Independent Study Illinois, and W i s cons i n as he s er ved di fferent congregations. For a home devotion during Lent, read Lk 19:41-48 and then see how Anna put those w or ds into vers e i n Hymn 419. During this time Anna Meyer wrote hymns that were primarily published in church periodicals. One of her translations from the original German appear s in T he Lutheran Hymnal. Written by one of the f oundi ng f ather s of the Mi ssouri Synod, C. F. W. Walther, it is Hymn 198 He’s Risen, He’s Risen, Christ Jesus, the L or d.

He’s risen, He’s risen, Christ Jesus the L or d; He opened deat h’s prison, the I ncar nat e W or d. Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song, And, earth, sea, and mount ai n, the paean prolong. the joy of looki ng toward the cross— the sorrow that it was our sins ELIZ ABET H CLEPHANE that put Jesus there; and the j oy that it was there t hat Christ took (1830-1869) them away.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His Elizabeth Cecilia D ou gl as Clephane was one of the f ew women hymn mother, and His mother' ssister, Mary the writers of Scotland. She was born in Edinbur gh in 1830, the daught er wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (Jn of the count y sheriff. She gr ew up in a loving home wi t h her father, 19:25). mother, and two sisters. Following t he deat h of her father, Elizabeth moved to the village of Melrose, about 30 miles southeast of What would i t have been like t o stand t her e Edinburgh wher e s he s pent the r es t of her (short) life. at the foot of the cr oss with Jesus’ mother, Mary the wi f e of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene? Yet one might say that during t he s eas on of Elizabeth was the “fr ail” member of her family. T hroughout her life Lent we all stand by the cross of Jesus. In spir it we have gone back to she fought various health problems of her own, which only seemed to Jerusalem the past few week s and heard again the crowds shouting that lead her to give a con s i der abl e amount of her time t o the poor and Jesus be crucified. We have s een Pilate was h his hands in that famous needy in her communi ty. She became k nown as “T he S unbeam of gesture of thoughtlessness and expedience. Each year we cons i der Melrose” for the joy and laughter she brought to the people. She and again what the Passion of our Lord means— what the cr oss means. her sisters worked hard raising money for local charities and giving of their own financial resources. At one poi nt they even sold thei r horses We “stand beneath the cross of Jesus” gazing up at His terrible and carriages to hel p a par t i cu l ar l y needy family. sufferings not because we are compelled to do so, but because of what Jesus gave t o us there on Calvar y. Along with helping the poor in body, however, she also helped the poor in spirit through her poetry. Elizabeth Clephane enj oy ed wr i ti ng Because of the cr oss we have conf i dence. poems for her friends and relatives and had about eight of them Because of the cr oss our sins are f or gi ven. published anonymously (and posthumously) in a Scottish Presbyterian Because of the cr oss we l ove one anot her . magazine called the Family T reasury. Because of the cr oss we enj oy freedom fr om eter nal death. Because of the cr oss we pr ocl ai m i t. Only two of her hymns survive today, both of which have become Because of the cr oss we can face God. quite popular in Christian circles. One i s titled T he Ninety and Nine, Because of the cr oss ______. and the other, that famous Lenten hymn mentioned earlier— Beneath Because of the cr oss ______. the Cr oss of Jesus.

As Christians, our hope and joy, our strength and happi ness is Beneath the Cross of Jesus was written in 1868, just one year before centered in the cr oss just as the A pos t l e Paul said to the Corinthians, Miss Clephane died. It was published i n the Family T reasury three “For I determined not to know anythi ng among y ou except Jesus years later in 1872. Her original hymn contained f i ve s t anz as , but Christ and H i m cr uci fi ed. ” most hymnals include only the three printed on the nex t page. T he tune, “St. Christopher,” was composed specifically for this text in It was Elizabeth Clephane who once wrote a Lenten hymn titled 1881 by Frederick Charles Maker (1844-1927). Mr. Maker was an Beneath the Cross of Jesus. Her words expressed both the s orrow and accomplished chur ch or ganist and musi c t eacher in Br istol, England. One of the s t r i k i ng t hi ngs about the hy mn Beneath the Cross of Jesus is the great number of references and allusions to Scripture wi t hi n the t ex t . Look at the following Bible verses and see wher e t hey find expr ession in the hy mn:

Isaiah 32:2 ______

Psalm 63:1 ______

Jeremiah 9 :2 ______

Isaiah 28:12 ______

Isaiah 4 :6 ______

Matt 11:30 ______

Matt 27:36 ______

Gal 6:14 ______

With the help of God, may our words and thoughts echo those of stanza t h r ee:

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding pl ace; I ask no other sunshine t han the s uns hi ne of His face; content to l et the wor l d go by, to know no gai n nor loss, my sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cr oss. During her first year as an invalid, César Malan came to visit her. CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT Malan was a noted evangelist from Geneva, Switzerland. Seei ng (1789-1871) her sick and discouraged, he told her, “You must come just as you are, a sinner , to the Lamb of God that takes away all sin.” From T he last in our series of Women in Hymnody that day on, a friendship developed between Malan and Elliott that comes to us once again from England. U nlike lasted some 40 years. It was largely through Malan’s Christian some others, Charlotte Elliott did not write a witness that Charlotte came to know and love her Savior most tremendous amount of hymns (around 200), intimately. nor are her hymns exceptionally popular today— with the ex cept i on of two: Just as I Now confined to her rooms at Westfield L odge i n Br ighton, she Am (LH 388) and My God, My Father, turned her attention towar d spi r i tual writings, especially poetry. While I Stray (LH 418). T he subjects of her poetry, as you might expect, concern the troubles of this life and the glory that is ours in Chr ist Jesus who forgives all sin. It has been said that, “more t han a h al f century of suffering went into the mak i ng of Miss Elliott’s hymns.” BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH About her physical condition she wr ot e, “My heavenly father knows, and He alone, what it is, day after T he year was 1789 and spring was just around the cor ner when day, and hour after hour, to fi ght against bodily feelings of th Charlotte Elliott was born on March 18 to her parents, Mr. and almost overpowering weakness and langour and exhausti on, to Mrs. Charles Elliott. She came f r om some r at her well-known resolve, as He enables me to do, not to yield to the slothfulness, ancestors. Her grandfather was Rev. Henry Venn who was a the depression, the irritability, such as a body causes me long to popular minister in the Chur ch of England. Rev. Venn had indulge, but to rise every morning determined on taking this for suppor ted William Wilberforce, the f amous English politician and my motto: ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, abolitionist. take up hi s cross daily, and f ollow me. ’”

T here is not much information available concerning Miss Elliott’s childhood. She di d have a br ot h er , H. V. Elliott, who became a With the help of her brother, much of her poetry was published in minister in the Church of England. In her young adul t years she the f ollowing f i ve t i t l es : entertained her sel f by writing humorous poetry and developed an interest in music and art. She was unusually well educated f or a • T he I nvalid’s Hymn Book (1834-1841) woman of her day. • Psalms and H ymns for Public, Private, and S oci al Worship (1835-1848) Her youthful vigor was not to last, however. In 1821, at the age • Hours of Sorrow (1836) of 32, she was struck with serious illness. T he l as t fifty years of her • Hymns for a W eek (1839) life she lived as an invalid. She moved f r om Cl apham ( wher e s he • T houghts in V er se on Sacr ed S ubj ects (1869) was born) to Br i ghton, England. For further thought: Just as I am, without one pl ea But that T hy blood was shed f or me • Many of the hymn writers we have studied i n this series And that T hou bidd’st me come t o T hee have had physical ailments of some kind and were invalids O Lamb of God, I come, I come. much of their lives. For example, the mos t prolific poet in history— Fanny Crosby with 9,000 hymns— was blind Just as I am and wai ti ng not from bi r th. T o r i d my soul of one dar k blot, • Do you think that their ailments actually helped them write T o T hee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, the wor ds they did? O Lamb of God, I come, I come. • How can our own troubles encourage us to tur n to our loving God and His Son Jesus Christ? What is our natural At first, the poem was published reaction when facing har d ti mes? anonymously, leading t o an inter esting • What does Romans 5:1-5 have to say about the difficulties exchange bet ween the aut hor and her we f ace i n this life? doctor. Lying i n a h os pi t al room, the doct or came t o Char l otte one day and gave her a leaflet with the text of Just as I Am printed inside. T he doctor had no idea she was the author. He s ai d that copies of the poem were being sold and the money was being gi ven to St. Mary’s “JU ST AS I AM, WIT HOUT ONE PLEA” Hall (the college f or girls that she had wanted so much to hel p the year before). She wept tears of joy when she r ealized t hat she had It was 1836 when Miss Elliott penned the hy mn that has been a been able to contribute to the effort. T here ar e many anecdotes and favorite of Christians ever since. In that year her brother and other stories concerning this hymn. It has been used by missionaries members of her family were invited to hel p wi th a f u n d- r ai s er to throughout the world for the clear and simple way it portrays our build a college i n Br ighton for the daught er s of poor clergymen. Savior who has washed away all our sins by His death on the cr oss. Much to her disappoi ntment, Charlotte’s health would not permit her to be actively involved with the project. As she t hought about Charlotte Elliott died on September 22, 1871 and is buried at St. how she could help, she remembered the wor ds of César Malan Andrew’s Church in the village of Hove, Sussex, England. years earlier and also the text of John 6:37, “All that the F at her gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” For further thought: T he hy mn contains many Scriptural allusions. 1) John 1 :29; the l as t line of every verse 2) 2 Corinthians 7:5; verse 3 lines 2-3 3) Luke 4 : 18; verse 4 lines 1-2 4) Ephesians 2:14; verse 6 line 2 Redeemer Lutheran Church 66325 M 152 — Dowagiac, MI 49047