I Have Decided to Follow Jesus | |
---|---|
Hymn | |
Genre | Hymn |
Language | English |
Based on | John12:26 |
Meter | 10.10.10.8 |
Melody | Indian Folk song |
"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" is a Christian hymn that originated in Assam, present-day Meghalaya, India.
According to P. Job, the lyrics are based on the last words of Nokseng, a Garo man, a tribe from Meghalaya which then was in Assam, who converted to Christianity in the middle of the 19th century through the efforts of an American Baptist missionary. He is said to have recited verses from the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of John as he and his family were killed. The formation of the martyr's words into a hymn has been attributed to the Indian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh. [1]
An alternative tradition attributes the hymn to pastor Simon K Marak from Jorhat, Assam. [2]
The melody of the song is an Indian Folk tune, which was titled "Assam" after the region where the text originated. [3]
An American hymn editor, William Jensen Reynolds, composed an arrangement which was included in the 1959 Assembly Songbook. His version became a regular feature of Billy Graham's evangelistic meetings in America and elsewhere, spreading its popularity. [4]
Due to the lyrics' explicit focus on the believer's own commitment, the hymn is cited as a prime example of decision theology, emphasizing the human response rather than the action of God in giving faith. [5] This has led to its exclusion from some hymnals. [5] A Lutheran writer noted, "It definitely has a different meaning when we sing it than it did for the person who composed it." [6]
The 2006 film Though None Go with Me uses a line from the song as its title.
Four lines of the hymn are used as a bridge in the worship song "Christ is enough" (from the album "Glorious Ruins" by Hillsong Church).
A doxology is a short hymn of praises to God in various forms of Christian worship, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. The tradition derives from a similar practice in the Jewish synagogue, where some version of the Kaddish serves to terminate each section of the service.
A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook. They are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts ; written melodies are extra, and more recently harmony parts have also been provided.
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"Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" is a Christmas carol and Marian hymn of German origin. It is most commonly translated into English as "Lo, how a rose e'er blooming" and is also called "A Spotless Rose" and "Behold a Rose of Judah". The rose in the German text is a symbolic reference to the Virgin Mary. The hymn makes reference to the Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah, which in Christian interpretation foretell the Incarnation of Christ, and to the Tree of Jesse, a traditional symbol of the lineage of Jesus. Because of its prophetic theme, the hymn is popular during the Christian season of Advent.
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The Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement is the second official hymnal of the Lutheran Church of Australia, first published in its present form in 1989.
"The Sweet By-and-By" is a Christian hymn with lyrics by S. Fillmore Bennett and music by Joseph P. Webster. It is recognizable by its chorus:
Bartholomäus Ringwaldt was a German didactic poet and Lutheran pastor. He is most recognized as a hymnwriter.
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"Christ the Lord Is Risen Again!" is a German Christian hymn published by Michael Weiße in 1531 based on an earlier German hymn of a very similar name. It was translated into English in 1858 by Catherine Winkworth.
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