Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.” (Nehemiah 9:5).

“Stand up and bless the Lord,
All people of His choice;
Stand up and bless the Lord your God
With heart and soul and voice.”

The passage of Nehemiah was the inspiration for this hymn, “Stand Up and Bless the Lord.” The author was James Montgomery, who was born in Scotland in 1771, son of Moravian parents. They were missionaries in West Indies while James was in boarding school.

Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He wrote against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries.

This hymn was written for a special meeting, the Sheffield Red Hill Wesleyan Sunday School Anniversary, held on Mar. 15, 1824. Became very popular and a year after this hymn became part of “Christian Psalmist.”

“God is our strength and song,
And His salvation ours;
Then be His love in Christ proclaimed
With all our ransomed pow'rs.”

He was not just a fervent missionary, but also he supported the British Bible Society. It is very clear that his parents’ influence on missions was strong. Also, Moravians were popular for their love for music and wonderful poems, always singing metrical psalms, that is why James Montgomery wrote over 400 hymns. He published three hymnals. He died in Yorkshire, England, 1854.

“Stand up and bless the Lord;
The Lord your God adore;
Stand up and bless His glorious name,
Hence-forth forevermore.”

Please, use this hymn as part of your quiet time, use it as a prayer, and stand up and bless the Lord.”

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.” (Revelation 15:2-4).
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In His service,
Israel