The Fifty Best Loved Hymns

**billym** · January-24th-2012, 11:22 PM

The Old Time Gospel Ministry: The Fifty Best Loved Hymns

The Fifty Best Loved Hymns

The list below has been taken from a number of Christian denominations
and are in the order of their popularity.

* Amazing Grace
* Ave Maria
* Jerusalem
* Holy Holy Holy
* Battle Hymn Of The Republic
* How Great Thou Art
* Be Thou My Vision
* Rock Of Ages
* Joyful Joyful
* It Is Well With My Soul
* In The Garden
* This Little Light Of Mine
* Just A Closer Walk With Thee
* Hallelujah Chorus
* Nearer My God To Thee
* Blessed Assurance
* 23rd Psalm
* The Old Rugged Cross
* The Lord Is My Shepherd
* Abide With Me
* He Who Would Valiant Be
* To God Be The Glory
* What A Friend We Have In Jesus
* Onward Christian Soldiers
* We Plough The Fields And Scatter
* Eternal Father Strong To Save
* Jesus Lover Of My Soul
* I Vow To Thee My Country
* Be Still My Soul
* I Come To The Garden Alone
* God Of Our Fathers
* Breath Of God
* Lift High The Cross
* The Holy City
* Breathe On Me
* All Creatures Of Our God And King
* All Things Bright And Beautiful
* Fight The Good Fight
* Faith Of Our Fathers
* Jesus Loves Me This I Know
* Take My Life And Let It Be
* At The Cross
* Jesus Paid It All
* For The Beauty Of The Earth
* Jesus Christ Is Risen Today
* Shall We Gather At The River
* All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name
* Fairest Lord Jesus
* Crown Him With Many Crowns
* The King Of Love My Shepherd Is

**billym** · January-24th-2012, 11:26 PM

I also found this gem while on the website in the post above

Have You Tasted My Jesus?

At the University of ___ School each year they have what is called Baptist Day. It is a day when all the Baptists in the area are invited to the school because they want the Baptist dollars to keep coming in. On this day each one is to bring a sack lunch to be eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every Baptist Day the school would invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the theological education center.

One year they invited Dr. ___. Dr. ___ spoke for two and one-half hours proving that the resurrection of Jesus was false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded that since there was no such thing as the historical resurrection the religious tradition of the church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who, in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He then asked if there were any questions.

After about thirty seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium. "Docta ___, I got one question," he said as all eyes turned toward him. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it. "Docta ___..." CRUNCH, MUNCH... "My question is a simple question," CRUNCH, CUNCH... "Now I ain't never read them books you read..." CRUNCH, MUNCH... "and I can't recite the Scriptures in the original Greek..." CRUNCH, MUNCH... "I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and Heidegger..." CRUNCH, MUNCH... He finished the apple. "All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate-was it bitter or sweet?"

Dr. ___ paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly fashion: "I cannot possibly answer that question, for I haven't tasted your apple."

The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. ___ and said calmly, "Neither have you tasted my Jesus."

The one thousand plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers. Dr. ___ thanked his audience and promptly left the platform.

— Source unknown

The Old, Old Way
The Old Time Gospel Ministry: Why The Old Time Gospel

**mattfivefour** · January-24th-2012, 11:54 PM

Interesting. I note Ave Maria is listed as a Christian hymn. It is not. It may have beautiful melody, but it is a paeon of praise to the Virgin Mary, not in any way to God. I also note that The 23rd Psalm and The Lord Is My Shepherd are listed separately. Are they not the same hymn? Ditto In the Garden and I Come To The Garden Alone. Further, I Vow To Thee My Country is more of a jingoistic anthem than a Christian hymn.

However, all that aside, in that list reside some of the most blessed, most anointed lyrics and melodies of any ever written. Reading the list was like a trip back down the years to the old time gospel churches I used to attend.

Thanks for posting this, billym.

**Hannah** · January-25th-2012, 06:31 AM

First thing I noted was Ave Maria.

**SteveJM** · January-25th-2012, 07:16 AM

Without the exceptions that Mattfivefour and Hannah have mentioned, it's a nice list of great hymns. It would be nice if more of the contemporary services would include them. I'll have to turn on my Hymn playlist today. Thanks for sharing.

**billym** · January-25th-2012, 12:38 PM

I forgot where I heard this

A Hymn is all about Him (who had no sin)
History is just His Story (Jesus)

And every time I hear the word Hymn, I smile and think about HIM
And now when you hear someone say history is my favorite subject, you can say mine too, HIS STORY is always on my mind!

**mattfivefour** · January-25th-2012, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by billym

I forgot where I heard this

A Hymn is all about Him (who had no sin)
History is just His Story (Jesus)

And every time I hear the word Hymn, I smile and think about HIM
And now when you hear someone say history is my favorite subject, you can say mine too, HIS STORY is always on my mind!

LOVE it!!!

**ShilohRose** · January-25th-2012, 01:22 PM

I would prefer that the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" disappeared off that list. The words were written in praise of the Union Army during the War Between the States, and the music is from a beer hall song called "John Brown's Body Lies A'Moulderin' in the Grave." I never, ever sing this song. I have known people to walk out of the service when this was sung. Julia Ward Howe's gospel was warlike, not peaceful. In this song, the Northern Army becomes Christ in the flesh, and the idea is social transformation that had nothing to do with the new life and individual transformation bought by Jesus on the cross at Calvary. The "fateful lightening of his terrible swift sword" was the Union Army rampaging and raging through the farms and farmland of the South. (By the way, in her original copy of this, she did not capitalize "his" when referring to God.) It inflamed more hatred toward Southerners and the song promises only the judgment of God. Julia Ward Howe did not believe in hell, the divinity of Jesus, or His literal Second Coming.

**IamPJ** · January-25th-2012, 02:42 PM

I love the old hymns. I grew up in a church where that's all we sung...with no musical instruments. The singing was always beautiful. It would make you tear up for sure.

**anath** · January-26th-2012, 01:25 AM

I love the old hymns as well. Every day I sing them and most every day I play them on piano. It's something I've done all my life.

**billym** · January-26th-2012, 12:29 PM

Here are my favorites from the top 50 list, not necessarily in this order but close. Whats your favorites from the list?

* Amazing Grace
* How Great Thou Art
* Rock Of Ages
* It Is Well With My Soul
* All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name
* Just A Closer Walk With Thee
* Blessed Assurance
* The Old Rugged Cross
* To God Be The Glory
* What A Friend We Have In Jesus
* Onward Christian Soldiers*
* Nearer My God To Thee
* Jesus Loves Me This I Know
* This Little Light Of Mine

**SteveJM** · January-26th-2012, 01:26 PM

billym, these are somewhat in order, but then it's hard to order them. I narrowed down to my favorite twelve from the original list of fifty.
* Holy Holy Holy
* I Come To The Garden Alone
* Joyful Joyful
* It Is Well With My Soul
* Blessed Assurance
* Hallelujah Chorus
* Amazing Grace
* How Great Thou Art
* What A Friend We Have In Jesus
* Rock Of Ages
* The Old Rugged Cross
* All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name

In keeping with what billym has asked, what are your favorites from the original list?