Archive - Hymn of the Week of Word & Song by Anthony Esolen

To Canaan's Land I'm on My Way

Here's a beloved and heartfelt gospel song, written by a man in prison -- who we trust reached Canaan at last.

Jul 1 •

June 2025

O For a Closer Walk with God

God never abandons us, even when we feel alone. This hymn's for all the William Cowpers in the world.

Jun 24 •

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

What do an ambassador, a wise man from Persia, a poet, an English professor, a Presbyterian minister, and Beethoven have in common?

Jun 17 •

Come Down, O Love Divine

Of all his hymns, our Hymn of the Week seems to have been the one that meant most to Vaughn Williams, whose work is inestimable.

Jun 10 •

Thine Is the Glory

A hymn today for the ultimate triumph! What do Judas Maccabeus, the son of King George II, and a Swiss minister have in common?

Jun 3 •

May 2025

God of Grace and God of Glory

A hymn and a melody to march by -- and to ask God for wisdom and courage to face the hour upon us.

May 27 •

I Sought the Lord

One of our favorite hymns of comfort assures us not only that we will find God if we seek Him, but that God seeks us. All is grace.

May 13 •

At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing

Today's hymn makes us think not of the little lamb of a children's story, but of Paul saying to the Romans, “O grave, where is thy victory?”

May 6 •

April 2025

Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain

The earliest Christians sang many hymns about the Resurrection, and why not? It is the definitive victory, in the face of human evil, hatred, sin, and…

Apr 29 •

If we are tempted to think of the universe as a vast machine running down, today's hymn reminds us that to Jesus “the throne / Over all the world is…

Apr 22 •

The Royal Banners Forward Go

Today's hymn pierces to the heart of sorrow and triumph to show us the inversion of worldly values that the Cross represents.

Apr 15 •

Children of the Heavenly King

As a boy our hymn's composer was an apprentice to a shoemaker. But singing in the village choir started him in a musical career of distinction.

Apr 8 •

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