Author Robert J. Morgan, well known for his Then Sings My Soul series, combines in The Origin of Hymns 50 hymn stories curated from that series; a short history of Western hymnody; a reflection on the little-known conclusion of the life of Horatio Spafford, author of “It is Well with My Soul”; and encouragement to make hymns a daily habit by memorizing, meditating on, praying, quoting, and leaning on them.
Morgan writes, “The hymns can help turn your whole life into a crescendo of praise, especially if you have a daily hymn habit. Hymns are self-medicating therapies, good for whatever ails us. From infancy to old age, they’re internal medicines that strengthen, heal, and uplift us. They’re vitamins for the soul and excellent antidotes against emotional disease or distress. From birth till death, hymns accompany us along life’s road.”
Morgan offers an invitation to learn from the stories of hymn writers and, more important, to discover how God’s faithfulness through numerous difficult circumstances spurred creativity in his children to create hymns that have stood the test of time.
(Thomas Nelson)