November 14, 2011 4:20 PM
Thanksgiving hymns
This is another rerun. To update, we now have 12 children, 2 sons-in-law, 2 daughters-in-law and 13 grandchildren (though Jasmine's family has once again estranged themselves from the rest of the family - we continue to pray and ask you to too).
That still leaves us with a lot of voices though! And a love of singing old favorite hymns - especially those you sing only around Thanksgiving - together each year.
First of all, I have to admit I am prejudiced when it comes to hymns. Praise songs are okay, but to me they seem more based on feelings. Hymns have feelings too ;) - but they are so packed with the tenets of our faith that for me they pack a double whammy.When I was homeschooling a large crowd, we began each morning with hymns. Since no one played piano, we sang a capella (or as my younger kids always said, Alcapulco). Today, even though I'm at best a mediocre singer,my kids are all sensational. When people ask how they got such good voices, we always tell them we sang hymns each morning. God was gracious in return.
When our church bought new hymnals, we bought ten of the old ones so there would always be plenty to go around. But today, you can find any hymn you want at Cyberhymnal - with a history, associated Bible verse, all lyrics, and the melody plunked out so you can sing along at your computer.
In early November, we begin singing our special Thanksgiving hymns. We all memorized them way back when and through the years they've provided a rich backdrop to Thanksgiving, just as carols do for Christmas. Also an excellent way to add meaning to a celebration with non-believing relatives.
Click on each of these for the lyrics and music:
We Plow the Fields and Scatter
I hope you have the time to read and sing these wonderful hymns. Gather your kids around the computer to learn their histories and sing the verses together. Do it every day at least for a while - your kids will love it, and soon you'll hear them humming away as they do their work.
By the way, our family hymn - which we always close with is Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. You might want to choose or ask God to help you choose a family hymn - one that's emblematic of how your family began, what you stand for, your vision and utmost prayer.
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See all my Thanksgiving posts
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