For your information: "I Will Anchor My Soul in Christ" is available in sheet-music form from Jackman Music. This song is becoming widely used by Young Women for camp programs and as a theme for New Beginnings, etc. "I Sing Songs of the Spirit" is also available in SAB.
The Songs:
Come Away With Me
by Roger Hoffman
This song was rolling around inside me for months before I even recognized it.
When I realized it was there, it seemed to be an invitation to examine my life,
and to change it so I could become what I really, deeply wanted to be.
I heard a still voice calling,
"Come with me to the sea.
Around you night is falling.
Come away with me.
Come away with me.
Come with me down the river,
And find across the sea,
A straight and narrow pathway.
Come away with me.
Come away with me.
Leave your silver and your gold
And all the world's desires.
Come to follow wealth untold
Alight with heaven's fires.
Come follow One who holds the earth
And the heavens in His hands.
Come journey through the veil of fear
To find your Promised Land.
Come with me down the river
And build across the sea
A straight and narrow highway.
Come away with me.
Come away with me.
Leave your wand'ring through the dark
In a weary, wasted world.
Turn your eyes to see the light
And let your heart be filled.
For I know if you will leave your fears
And journey through the sea,
You'll understand the meaning of the words
"Come, follow me"
I heard a still voice calling,
"Come with me to the sea.
Already night is falling.
Come away with me.
Come away with me.
How Firm a Foundation
Text attr. to Robert Keen, ca. 1787
I've always loved these words and was thrilled to find this sensitive setting
in a book of earlyAmerican hymns.
How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled.
In ev'ry condition, in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea,
As thy days may demand,
so thy succor shall be.
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee,
And cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell
should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!
Hannah, Susannah
by Melanie Hoffman
Writing this song began a love affair with lighthouses and the people who kept them.
In researching, I found that, in fact, there were many women who faithfully kept
lighthouses. I also discovered, to my great delight, that the first
woman to keep a lighthouse in North America was named Hannah.
Hannah, Susannah, Johanna, Roseanna
Lived in a lighthouse down by the sea.
Hannah, Susannah, Johanna, Roseanna
Had lived in her lighthouse since 1803.
The captains of ships, oh,
They never would cry,
For they knew that Hannah
Was shining close by.
When children in town were
Afraid of the night,
They'd look out their windows
At Hannah's bright light.
Hannah Susannah, Johanna, Roseanna
Made doughnuts and cider
For folks who passed by.
On special occasions,
Like birthdays or weddings,
She'd whip up her famous
Black raspberry pie.
The children loved
Hannah, Susannah, Roseanna,
And grownups would walk with her
Down by the sea.
She'd sit for a while
And Aunt Hannah would smile
And say she was as rich as a person could be.
Hannah, Susannah, Johanna, Roseanna,
The life that she lived was so fine.
And I'm Anna, Susannah,Joanna, Roseanna,
And, like my Aunt Hannah,
I'll let my light shine.
Consider the Lilies
by Roger Hoffman
I t is not within my power to express my gratitude to the God who gave this song to me.
In it is expressed the sum of His great power to redeem us all from the effects of this fallen world.
He not only forgives sins, but heals the adverse effects of them on everyone who will trust him.
It has been so with my life and with many, many whom I know personally.
Consider the lilies of the field,
How they grow, how they grow.
Consider the birds in the sky,
How they fly, how they fly.
He clothes the lilies of the field.
He feeds the birds in the sky.
And He will feed those who trust Him,
And guide them with His eye.
Consider the sheep of His fold,
How they follow where He leads.
Though the path may wind across the mountains,
He knows the meadows where they feed.
He clothes the lilies of the field.
He feeds the birds in the sky,
And He will feed those who trust Him,
And guide them with His eye.
Consider the sweet, tender children
Who must suffer on this earth.
The pains of all of them He carried
From the day of His birth.
He clothes the lilies of the field,
He feeds the lambs in His fold,
And He will heal those who trust Him,
And make their hearts as gold.
There Is a Land of Pleasure
Anonymous
The power and majesty of this song transcends time and points our hope to the wonderful
events to come. Whenever we sing this, the Spirit comes in abundance. It will be a privilege
to someday meet the one who wrote this!
There is a land of pleasure
Where streams of joy forever roll.
'Tis there I have my pleasure.
And there I long to rest my soul.
Long darkness gathered round me,
With scarcely once a cheering ray.
But since my Savior found me,
A lamp has shown along my way.
My way is filled with danger,
But 'Tis the path that leads to God.
And, like a faithful soldier,
I'll march along the heavenly road.
Now, I must gird my sword on;
My breastplate, helmet and my shield,
And fight the hosts of Satan
Until I reach the heavenly field.
Soon, the archangel's trumpet
Will shake the earth from pole to pole,
And all the wheels of nature
Shall, in a moment, cease to roll.
Then we shall see our Savior
With shining ranks of angels come
To execute his judgments
And take his ransomed people home.
There is a land of pleasure
Where streams of joy forever roll.
'Tis there I have my pleasure.
And there I long to rest my soul.
Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
Text Attr. to Bernard of Clairvaux ca. 1091-1153
Music: John B. Dykes 1823-1876
How remarkably contemporary are the feelings expressed by a man whose birthday occurred
over 900 years ago!
Jesus, the very thought of thee
With sweetness fills my breast.
But sweeter far thy face to see
And in thy presence rest.
Nor voice can sing,
Nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than thy blest name,
O Savior of mankind!
O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind thou art!
How good to those who seek!
Jesus, our only joy be thou,
As thou our prize wilt be;
Jesus, be thou our glory now,
And through eternity.
I Will Anchor My Soul in Christ
by Melanie Hoffman
I wrote this song for some beautiful young friends. To me, the words and Roger's compelling
setting capture the exhilaration and adventure of our journey back Home.
Winds blow around me.
Waves rush to drown me.
I will anchor my soul in Christ,
Anchor my soul in Christ.
Mists rise to blind me.
He'll reach to find me.
I will anchor my soul in Christ,
Anchor my soul in Christ.
At times it takes my breath away,
The fierceness of the sea.
But with joy I take my journey
For the Master sails with me.
He'll stay beside me.
His voice will guide me.
I will anchor my soul in Christ forever,
Anchor my soul in Christ.
Song of the Lord
by Steven Kapp Perry
© 1984 by Steven Kapp Perry
Of the many lovely songs that Steven has written, this is one of our favorites.
How shall we sing the song of the Lord
And tell of his word in a far away land?
And how shall we bring the gift of the gospel
That all men may prosper,
And how do we offer our hands?
How shall we sing the song of the Lord?
How shall we bring the joy of his word,
Calling his Spirit down from above?
Only with love.
How shall we pray for nations unknown
That seeds may be sown
And will fall on good sod?
And how shall we say the word of the Spirit
That new hearts will hear it
And know they are children of God?
One More Thing
by Melanie Hoffman
Singing this quirky little song always makes us smile. Life is more than things!
Once upon a time there was a sorry little man
Who said, "I must accumulate
All the stuff I can!"
(Chorus) He said, "One more thing.
I'll buy on more thing.
I'll buy until I'm happy!
I'll buy one more thing."
He went out in the afternoon
To see a chimp or two,
And, before he knew it,
He'd bought the city zoo.
Repeat Chorus
When the snow was falling,
He was a merry elf.
He wrapped up Christmas presents
And gave them to himself.
Repeat Chorus
When he got to heaven,
He cried out in despair.
He once had such lovely things,
But none of them were there.
He said, No more things.
I have no more things.
Here I am in heaven with no more things.
It's your heart that counts
And the love you bring.
I wish someone had told me
Life is more than things
Oh, I Love Lord Jesus
by Melanie Hoffman
I wrote this song as a symbol. The chorus begins quietly with a personal conviction, grows
as we sing together on earth, and culminates as heaven joins the song.
As I taste the bread,
I remember I have promised
To keep the laws of Jesus
That He has given me.
The water, cool and clear,
Reminds me of my promise
That I have made to Jesus
That I'll remember Him.
Oh, I love Lord Jesus!
With thanks and joy I sing.
As he gave his life for me,
I give my life to him.
I Sing Songs of the Spirit
by Roger Hoffman
How powerful is the effect of music that lifts our thoughts and our feelings at the same time!
When I come home at the end of the day,
Burdened with cares
Of the the world and its way,
I listen, and sometimes I sing along
With the voice of the Lord
I hear in a song.
(Chorus) I sing songs of the Spirit.
Sing so I can draw near it.
Sing loud and sing strong,
So the Lord and I can hear it.
When I see people who carry pain,
Who try and fail again and again,
I wish I could lift their sadness,
So I give them a song of gladness.
(Chorus) I sing songs of the Spirit.
Sing so they can draw near it.
Sing loud and sing strong,
So the Lord can touch their spirits.
When, with a holy desire,
I pray for the Spirit and fire
To change my heart,
To open my soul,
I sing, I sing, I sing,
And a flood of warm, healing light
Descends and makes me whole.
Sing songs of the Spirit.
Sing so we can draw near it.
Sing loud and sing strong,
So the whole world can hear it.
Sing songs of the Spirit.
Sing so we can draw near it.
Sing loud and sing strong,
So the Lord can touch our spirits.
