How do you know when Scripture is a living presence, a flowing spring welling up in the hearts of the faithful? When they compose hymns that do not merely repeat a verse, but that meditate upon it and allow it to resound with other verses and other scenes in Scripture, so that the result is a subtle commentary on the text, and a moving and thoughtful work of art. That’s what we have in Henry Francis Lyte’s hymn, “Pleasant are Thy Courts Above,” sung best to the lilting and utterly lovely melody Maidstone.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Word & Song by Anthony Esolen to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.