Anyway, until Dad died I have always gone to one particular dnomination, but also one style of Church. I now go to a Church in Exeter which, in many ways, I do love. However they don't have traditional hymns, but more modern ones. Some of them are lovely, I admit, but then you miss out on so much.
For me Palm Sunday is two hymns.
Mum's favourite for this day was "My song is Love Unknown" ...
My song is love unknown,
My Savior's love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I,
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh, and die?
He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know:
But oh, my Friend,
My Friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend.
Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then "Crucify!"
Is all their breath,
And for His death
They thirst and cry.
They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
The Prince of life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
To suffering goes,
That He His foes
From thence might free.
Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend,
In whose sweet praise
I all my days
Could gladly spend
And my favourite is "Ride on, Ride on, in Majesty -
Ride on! ride on in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes Hosanna cry!
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die!
O Christ! Thy triumph now begin
Over captive death and conquered sin.
Ride on! ride on in majesty!
The wingèd squadrons of the sky
Look down with sad and wondering eyes,
To see the approaching sacrifice!
Ride on! ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh;
The Father on His sapphire throne,
Expects His own anointed Son!
Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain!
Then take, oh God! Thy power, and reign!
For me this hymn is lovely, but made more so by the lovely chapel at Maddingly, American War Cemetery in Cambridge. Many, many American air crew rest here, and the ceiling was designed to show that, as you can see in this picture. So although the hymn is about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem a few days before His death, it also brings to mind those who have lost their lives in war & conflict.
In actual fact as I was finishing dinner, "Songs of Praise" was on TV, and these were the first 2 hymns ... Hooray! However get which verse was missed out of my one, yes, the verse of "Winged Squadrons"!!
Have a lovely day x
