Gather readers share their beloved songs, carols and anthems.

“How Great Thou Art,” “It is Well with My Soul,” A Mighty Fortress is Our God”…. I’ve enjoyed these, and many other traditional hymns, since childhood. They are not only spiritually welcome, but they bring back memories of family and youth. ZuAnne Neal

“Children of the Heavenly Father” has been a favorite hymn since 7th grade. I grew up in a small rural community in South Dakota with a big contingency of Norwegians and Swedes. My Grandma Alice, who was Swedish, decided that my cousin, Jane, and I should learn the first verse in Swedish. We worked on harmony and words and put it together to perform simply for Grandma’s joy. By the time we were freshmen in high school, we took our show on the road – the short gravel road – to the country church near our farm. Noted for our inability to stay serious, to accidentally succumb to nervous giggles, we knew that we had to sing this well for Grandma. The smiles in the congregation were mixed with a few tears while hearing the young’uns sing in Swedish. After the service concluded, we were thanked by many but the hug and broad smile from Grandma meant the world! Grandma Alice has been gone for a while now, but Jane and I can still sing a pretty good rendition in both languages at 70-years-old. The protective feel of God’s love “safely in his bosom gather” and as a “refuge” reinforces that God‘s grace is freely given to me, He knows me and will always be there for me.  Julie Skrzypek

“My God and I” is my favorite hymn as I picture walking hand-in-hand with God through the fields together. Walking and talking as good friends should do. SO comforting! Beth Krause

I am partial to this hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” since my brother and two sisters were requested to sing this hymn in four-part harmony at my parents’ and initially at our grandparents’ funerals. We most recently sang it together at my 102-year-old uncle’s home. Our voices aren’t as strong as they were at the funerals, but everyone present desired to sing along making it even better. Hymns have such meaningful sentiments that draw us together to sing in unison and harmony that speaks to our souls. I made copies of the words of all four verses for us to use at my uncle’s [funeral] but no musical notations are needed anymore, even in harmony. May we always continue to “bow in humble adoration” as we praise our God. Let us “consider all the worlds Thy hands have made” and enjoy the beauty around us every day of our lives. I am the youngest of four siblings, so they most likely won’t be here to sing that hymn at my funeral, so I will rely on my children with their beautiful voices to sing it for mine, hopefully in harmony. Cindee Schnekloth

The hymn, “How Great thou Art,” is special to me because I picture my mom, who died in 1990, sitting at our old piano playing and singing [this hymn]. This was one of her favorites.  In high school, I sang in our church choir with my mom.  She was a life-long Lutheran who in high school led her youth group and sang in the choir in Chisago City, Minnesota.  Her dad was a farmer for the Lutheran Nursing home there. She and my dad started my faith with their love, prayers, family Bible study, and weekly church attendance even when we traveled.  I feel love and gratitude for all the family saints who have passed.  I feel their presence in worship.  I tear up because I still miss her, but it is also joy and comfort. Hymns add a lot to my worship experience along with the sermon and liturgy and people.  We have wonderful hymnals full of inspirational hymns. Deb Martin

My favorite hymn is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” My family asked me to sing it to my grandmother [before she passed away]. The nurse found a hymnal and brought it to us, so without accompaniment, I learned that song by her bedside. While I sang, we witness firsthand how hearing is the last thing to be lost. She communicated she heard that song as she shed a few tears. The song reminds me of her, that special moment we had, and it was the beginning of a relationship dynamic with Jesus I hadn’t considered before: Friendship. Miranda Oliphant

“Old Rugged Cross” has always been a favorite since I was a teen. It grabbed me somehow. And I used to play it on the accordion. I would have to review all the verses. But by the “exchange it someday for a crown” ending, I was usually in tears. I love woodworking, so the hymn also draws me. Peg Harris Nordquist

My favorite hymn is “Children of the Heavenly Father.” My grandmother, an immigrant from Sweden in 1903, sang that hymn when I was a child, sometimes in Swedish. Special memories!  Barb Larsen

“Lord Jesus You Shall Be My Song.” I can’t sing it without intense emotion. It’s so beautiful. Vicki Hall

“Gather Us In” is one I love. Often brings me to tears…MaryAnn Nelson

“Blest Be the Tie That Binds” – always makes me think of family and friends, especially those I can’t be near or have passed on!  Brenda Dean Frank

“Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” I’m a Lutheran PK, so I have deep-core memories of church steeped in music beginning in the 1970’s with a folk music liturgy. In the 1980’s, we got the green hymnal as I was in the kids choirs and heading to high school. During these years my friends and I would attend each other’s church services regularly and the late service on Christmas Eve was always a favorite. I can’t quite remember the first time I heard “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” but the chant style of the melody is what moves me most. I sang in the choir at a Lutheran college, Wittenberg, and it was there that I learned to see hymns as prayer. We sang hymn arrangements as anthems as many services on campus. I always appreciated the quiet hymns even among the big celebrative times like Christmas and Easter. Of the Father’s Love Begotten is a hymn tune that can be sung, hummed, chanted and prayed and it brings me peace and calms my spirit. It is definitely not chosen often enough for me. Karin Reinsel Allmendinger

“The Love of God.” This hymn sums it ALL up! God’s love has walked with me through all the highs and lows life has presented. My sister and I sang it as a duet back when we were teens and God’s love still endures now over 60 years later. Janice Klimke

“Children of the Heavenly Father” makes both me (56 yrs old) and my mom, (90 yrs old) cry. She sang this hymn to me every night at bedtime throughout my childhood even into my teens, bonding moments with my mom that I cherish. I never had children of my own, but I’ve sung it to my current doggo at bedtime when he gets his “tuck in.” Annie McMichael

“Beautiful Savior” is a classic with a lovely message and beautiful music. It is a hymn I remember from my earliest days at church, First Lutheran in Minot, North Dakota. Everyone knows the tune and some of the words. Also, it was sung at both of my parents’ funerals, thus, I think of them. Finally, it is an easy hymn to sing for most voices. Nancy Langseth

“I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old.” I grew up in Decorah, Iowa, and was five-and-a half-years-old when my seven-year-old brother died by drowning in 1947. I didn’t understand what was going on at that time. Beautiful chimes came from First Lutheran Church every day. The week of the drowning, “I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old” was one of the children’s songs that was played.
My mother was a beautiful singer and I knew the song well. It was when I heard that song with chimes from the church that I really understood what had happened and I will never forget that feeling. When I am sad, I think of the line in the song about Jesus’ hands on my head and his arms around me, and that is a comfort. Jane Grundmeier

I must admit I love most hymns, but my favorite is “The Old Rugged Cross.” When I was a child, my grandma would pound on the piano and sing this hymn loud and off key. My mom said it was my grandma’s favorite hymn because when her mom was dying, both my mom and my grandma sang it to her. It was a hymn we would often sing in our house. I was at my mom’s bedside as she died. Of course I sang, “So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it some day for a crown.” On the night she died, I held her broken body knowing she was wearing a crown in the kingdom of heaven. Carrie Weiland

One of my favorite hymns is “How Great Thou Art.” Although my mother and I were not close, she guided my faith by taking me to Sunday School and church. My mother died unexpectedly in 2009 and I went home for her funeral. We sang her favorite hymns during the service, and it turned out her very favorite hymn was “How Great Thou Art.” Although we did not share many things or ideas [in common], we did share a love of that hymn. It took me years to be able to sing that hymn without tears, thinking of her and how we unknowingly shared a love for the same hymn. Barbara Radecki

My favorite hymn has always been “Day by Day Thy Mercies Lord Attend Me” by Carolina “Lina” Sandell Berg of Sweden. According to the Hymnary.org website she wrote the heartfelt verses in the 1800’s after witnessing her father’s drowning. It gained popularity because the musical settings written by Swedish gospel singer Oskar Ahnfelt. The melody is so calming and soft…so still. The words are for lifetime. Each line is a message in itself. The words are uplifting and reassuring for any and every day. It’s a prayer, a statement of faith and a message to every heart. Geri Skogen