During some recent sorting of family keepsakes I came across a Lutheran Hymnal.  This was a special one as my father, a Lutheran Minister used this hymnal to pick out hymns for Sunday worship.  Every time he used a hymn on a Sunday he wrote the date on that page in the hymnal.  So just paging through it shows what his favorite hymns were.

I enjoy playing hymns from this hymnal on the piano.  Tonight I was playing one of my Dad’s favorites – “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” text by John Fawcett 1740-1817, tune by Johann G. Nageli 1773-1836.

Ties that bind us to one another are needed more than ever in today’s world.  The third verse goes like this:  “We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear, And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear”

The picture above is our congregation laying hands and sharing our mutual woes and joys.  The words of the hymn are meaningful, but hearing/singing that beautiful song really brings you peace.  It is amazing what music can do for people.