Hymn of the Week: May 22, 2023
Come Sing, O Church, in Joy!
Glory to God: 305
Text. Brian Dill 1988
Music John Darwall 1770
Come Sing, O Church, in joy!
Come join, O church in song!
For Christ the Lord has led us through the ages long!
In bold accord, come celebrate the journey now
and praise the Lord.
Long years have come and gone,
and still God reigns supreme,
empowering us to catch the vision, dream the dream!
In bold accord, come celebrate the journey now
and praise the Lord.
Let courage be our friend,
Let wisdom be our guide,
As we In mission magnify the Crucified!
In bold accord, come celebrate the journey now
and praise the Lord.
Come sing, O church, in joy!
Come join, O church in song!
For Christ the Lord has triumphed o’er the ages long!
In bold accord, come celebrate the journey now
and praise the Lord.
Todays Devotion
I invite you to learn of this wonderful hymn writer from my hometown of Springfield, Ohio.
Devotional Thoughts Based on the Glory to God Hymnal
Isaiah 63:16
For you are our father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.
To my knowledge,
I have only met one hymn writer and that one is the author of this hymn.
The Rev. Brian Dill, who served as Associate Pastor at North Lakeland Presbyterian Church, wrote the lyrics, that were set to the tune: Darwall’s 148th, also the setting for “Rejoice, the Lord Is King!”
A hymn competition was sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Bicentennial Committee for the 1988-1989 observance which had the theme “Celebrate the Journey.” Brian was a great guy and a very humble servant. He wrote some wonderful lyrics for that occasion and the hymn has become quite popular in Presbyterian Churches.
I enjoyed getting to know Brian and I would have liked to have known him better, but he joined the Church Triumphant in October 2016.
Rev. Dr. Brian Kenneth Dill
Rev. Dr. Brian Kenneth Dill, 67, of Lakeland, FL, passed away surrounded by his family on October 17, 2016, following a sudden bout with an aggressive and rare form of cancer.
The youngest son of Kenneth Leonard Dill and Lucille “Sue” Gibson Dill, Brian was born on February 19, 1949, in Springfield, OH.
He met his wife of 45 years, best friend, and inseparable partner, Barbara, at Springfield’s Oakland Presbyterian Church when the two were in fourth grade.
A graduate of The Ohio State University, Dr. Dill majored in journalism and wrote for the student newspaper, The Lantern. He received his Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry from Louisville Theological Seminary.
During their 42-year ministry, the Dills served pastorates in Park Ridge, IL; Louisville, KY; Virginia Beach, VA; Orlando, FL; and Lakeland, FL. A gifted and entertaining writer, Dr. Dill worked for several years with David C. Cook Christian Publishing Company as an editor and curriculum developer. Dr. Dill was a beloved leader in the communities where he served, participating on a variety of boards and committees including the YMCA.
Dr. Dill was a talented musician and his legacy includes innumerable original compositions, including “Come Sing, O Church, in Joy!,” the bicentennial hymn for the Presbyterian Church (USA) that now appears in hymnals around the world.
Recognized throughout his career with a variety of distinguished honors, Dr. Dill held a commission in the honorary order of Kentucky Colonels and gave the invocation at the commissioning of the USS Laboon. Humble, kind, creative, and an engaging listener, Brian will be greatly missed.
Obituary
He is survived by his wife, Barbara of Lakeland, FL; sons Daniel Dill of Washington, D.C. and David Dill (fiancée Jillian) of Greenville, SC; brother David Dill (Martha) of Carlsbad, CA; three nieces; and one nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Jennifer Curry Dill. Brian and his family wish to offer a special thank you to the members and attendees of the Presbyterian Chapel in the Grove for making this last year so special and fun for him. His family also thanks the Florida Presbyterian Homes and the staff members at the Porter-McGrath Health Center for their kindness. A memorial service, conducted by the Rev. Dr. Mike Loudon, will be held Saturday, November 5, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church Lakeland. Interment will be on a later date at Ferncliff Cemetery, Springfield, OH. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Brian’s memory to the Presbyterian Chapel in the Grove, 1540 New Jersey Dr., Lakeland, FL 33803. “Come celebrate the journey now and praise the Lord!”
Link:
https://www.firstpreswh.org/daily-devotional/come-sing-o-church-in-joy-hymn-305/
