*****Download this month’s free printable******
***** Download the hymn schedule for the 2023 year******
***** The School Year Hymn Guide is available NOW on Etsy!*****
Come Christians join to sing, Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King; Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice, before his throne rejoice;
Praise is his gracious choice, Alleluia! Amen!
Christian H. Bateman (1843)
THE HYMN AND ITS WRITER
“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me…” Psalm 50:23a. Perhaps this truth was on Christian Henry Bateman’s (1813-1889) heart as his pen was let loose one day to write songs of praise and thanksgiving. We don’t know very much about Bateman’s life other than his ministry assignments and pastorates in England, which interestingly crossed three different denominational lines.
If we had a chance to really get to know Bateman, it is likely we would find a man who had a great love for Christ and longed to ascribe worth and praise to his great name. It is also probable that Bateman had a heart for children or had some of his own, as he published a book of songs especially for children called, “Sacred Melodies for Children,” later republished as “The Sacred Song Book,” inviting a broader audience to make melody for God. His little book was very well liked in Scotland and sold over six million copies. Bateman’s original title for “Come Christians Join to Sing” was “Come Children Join to Sing,” but has been well loved by both children and adults for well over a century. Bateman used another hymn text, “Join Now in Praise, and Sing” by William Edward Hickson to help him write this hymn. His remix of the hymn is favored beyond that of the original text that he was inspired by. Modern worship songwriters continue to follow Bateman’s lead, creating their own songs from hymns written in the past.
After many years of ministry and hymn writing, Christian Bateman retired in Carlisle, England and died there in July, 1889.
IDEAS FOR DOING HYMN OF THE MONTH
It’s a busy time of year! Accordingly, our hymn this month has only three verses! Let’s do our best to commit these lines to memory and rejoice in God’s faithfulness and goodness amid the busyness!
Also, we are delighted you are here, friend. If you are new to this community, welcome! It is a great time to join in and make family worship a priority if you haven’t already. You may or may not be familiar with this hymn. Either way, we invite you to spend this month meditating on its truths. You may find yourself too busy during this season to get to all of the verses, and that’s okay! Here are a few ideas for implementing the hymn of the month together:
- Print out your FREE printables for this hymn. Take a moment just to read through the verses together, as you would a poem. You can also use the copywork printables for your children to practice writing the words.
- Let your crew ask questions about vocabulary and the meaning behind the author’s poetry, and ask if there are any words or phrases that stick out to anyone.
- Read about the author together (above). There is such beauty in understanding the life and thoughts of the hymn writer! When my family sings hymns together, we often reflect on the author and his or her sufferings or blessings. For every hymn, it’s like we make a new friend.
- Listen to the hymn. Play it when you are driving together, or at home while washing dishes. Try out lots of different versions from our playlist below. Let your children hear YOU singing it. There is such wonderful comfort that comes from your children hearing you sing. Even if you feel like you haven’t a musical bone in your body, it doesn’t matter… Sing!
- Most importantly, spend time reading Scripture, praying and singing along with your children. It may feel awkward at first but go ahead and give it a try. Your kiddos may not join you in singing right away, and that’s ok. It may take a few days or even a few weeks, but at some point, you are most likely going to hear your children humming the tune or singing the lyrics while playing or while you lead them. Don’t forget to connect with your children by looking at them in the eyes while you sing. And in your heart, look to the Lord in worship, submission, joy and reverence.
- Review! There are many fantastic ways to review hymns, but our favorite is using a hymn jar. After the month is over, we write the hymn title on a popsicle stick and put it in our hymn jar. We’ll often pick 3 or 4 songs from our jar during our morning routine so that we won’t forget the beautiful songs we’ve learned. It’s amazing to me how well the lyrics often stick in our hearts and minds!
LISTEN IN
You can find fresh versions of the hymn on our YouTube channel that you and your family can sing along with. There are loads of fresh versions of our favorite hymns on our hymn of the month playlist.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
When we began singing hymns with our littles about 13 years ago, we kept it simple… We prayed and sang one hymn together every night at bedtime for a whole month. Everyone’s family rhythm is different, so we welcome you to gather up your families, for just a few minutes each day, to sing, discuss and memorize this hymn (following your daily time in the Scriptures and in prayer) whether it is first thing in the morning, or around the dinner table or before bedtime – whatever works best for your family. You can let us know how it’s going by posting either a video or a photo on Instagram. Just tag it with #happyhymnody! As always, if you have any questions or if you’d like to share your heart with us, please don’t hesitate to reach out! God bless you all this month as you worship and follow Jesus together as a family!
GOING DEEPER INTO HYMN STUDY
If you want more resources at your finger tips for hymn study, please check out the Happy Hymnody hymn guide for the 2023-2024 school year. Not only does it get all the hymns for the year ahead of schedule, but you get MORE background to the hymn story, the inside scoop to the original text and compositions, discussion questions, coloring pages for every month, more copywork sheets, and so much more. Read all about it and get yourself a downloadable copy on Etsy. This is also an opportunity for you to financially partner with us in the ministry of Happy Hymnody. Each hymn guide purchase helps us to be able to continue with research and with providing free printables on our site! So, thank you!
With so much warmth and love,
April
Thank you to the Bricker family for leading this month’s hymn! If you have purchased the guide for this school year, the coloring page for this month was created for us by Mrs. Bricker! The page includes each member of her beautiful family!
Happy Hymnody 