Ready to talk about victory today? I know I am. This is one of the most encouraging and uplifting hymns I've done so far. I don't think it is quite as popular of a hymn, and I've never given it much thought before, so I was surprised by how muc

Bonus

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Oct 31st, 2021 26m 53s

How perfect to talk about rising from the dead on Halloween, am I right? But in all seriousness, it is sweet to spend some time in an atypical time of year celebrating Jesus's resurrection with the most classic Easter hymn ever known to humanki

Bonus

Were You There

Oct 6th, 2021 29m 18s

Get ready for a bonus episode in which I majorly nerd out on why this tune is so musically wonderful and satisfying. We talk about all those nerd terms I learned in my choral music college days like text painting, motifs, and form, but, like, i

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Oct 4th, 2021 40m 4s

Get ready to nerd out on some history of hymnody, and how Isaac Watts pioneered a whole bunch of it, including several minutes of me being a total dweeb about poetic meter. I imagine normal people may find this boring, but I find it FASCINATING

Jesus Paid It All

Sep 28th, 2021 50m 42s

When I was writing this one, I knew it was going to be a long one. Whew! But I just couldn't cut anything. This hymn is CHOCK FULL of scripture, and it has so many beautiful and important things to reflect on about Jesus's sacrifice. What is pr

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Sep 9th, 2021 31m 27s

Oh goodness. This hymn has a great backstory. The essay that inspired it totally blew my mind. I've been meditating on it for days and days and days! Enjoy Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, and don't forget that when we focus on Him, everything else j

Abide with Me

Sep 3rd, 2021 31m 58s

What does it mean to abide with Jesus? And what does it mean when we ask him to abide with us? Let's talk about some of my favorite poetry ever - Abide with Me.Support the show

Softly and Tenderly

Sep 1st, 2021 32m 23s

Thanks for listening to HymnTalk! This week, we're talking about Softly and Tenderly, a sweet invitation hymn about the patience of Jesus as he calls us to himself.Support the show

How Great Thou Art

Aug 30th, 2021 27m 2s

We're back with a full episode! Undoubtedly one of the most beloved hymns of all time, this week we talk about How Great Thou Art. Thanks for listening!Support the show

Bonus

BONUS 2021 Fall Return

Aug 27th, 2021 5m 52s

Hey there! It has been a while since I've been able to upload an episode of HymnTalk, and this short bonus episode explains a little more of why. Get excited for HymnTalk to return regularly now! Thanks for listening!Support the show

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Feb 18th, 2021 22m 10s

The shortest episode yet, but its definitely one of my favorites. What an incredible hymn! In this episode, we discuss Jesus's suffering body as he hangs on the cross and how that relates to our lives. My favorite line is undoubtedly the last:

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Feb 11th, 2021 31m 47s

In this episode, we discuss the background of the story What a Friend We Have in Jesus. What a privilege it is to be able to turn to Jesus for anything, and to look forward to the day when all relationships are perfect. Thank you, Jesus, for be

Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine

Feb 4th, 2021 53m 2s

Come hang out with my dad, Dr. Steve Hamrick, and me as we talk about his favorite hymn, Blessed Assurance, written by the infamous Fanny Crosby. We talk about my dad's background in worship and hymnology (maybe that's where I get it from ;)!)

Take My Life and Let It Be

Jan 28th, 2021 31m 4s

Today we're talking about one of my favorites, even from childhood, Take My Life and Let It Be. There's discussion of Psalty kids musicals from the 80s - do y'all remember those? Ah! I loved them! Because that's where I first learned this hymn.

I Need Thee Every Hour

Jan 14th, 2021 39m 36s

Written by a wife and mom in the middle of her everyday tasks, this hymn speaks deeply to my heart. We can be full of the Spirit of God, in communion with Him, even in our most boring of daily tasks. May you be filled with purpose right where y

Be Thou My Vision

Jan 7th, 2021 38m 19s

Happy New Year! And in the spirit of the new year, let's talk about vision. I can't get enough of it - goals and dreams and hopes for this year, especially following last year! But our goals and dreams and hopes and visions mean nothing if not

Nearer, My God, to Thee

Feb 27th, 2020 45m 59s

The hymn from the Titanic legend is based on the story of Jacob's ladder. So how in the world are those things connected? Listen and find out! Support the show

Amazing Grace

Feb 20th, 2020 42m 26s

This is probably my favorite episode I've recorded so far. The LORD just spoke to me in this! I pray He speaks to you, too. We talk about grace - what it even is, and why it moved John Newton so much that he wrote a whole song about it - and wh

Because He Lives

Feb 7th, 2020 37m 9s

Get ready, y'all, cause we jump right into the deep end on this one! In this episode, we talk about the background of the hymn Because He Lives and the significance of Jesus's resurrection, which is everything to us in our faith, so that leads

It Is Well with My Soul

Jan 30th, 2020 40m 38s

In this episode, special guest Ryan Kneezel (also known as my husband) and I talk about It Is Well with My Soul - how this hymn started this resurgence of hymn-love for us, the heartbreaking story behind the composition of the lyrics, and how i

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Jan 25th, 2020 42m 24s

In this episode, I get super excited (as usual) as I talk about the meaning behind Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. We talk a lot about my favorite words from this one: "bind my wandering heart to thee," (any other #enneagram7 folks out ther

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Jan 25th, 2020 39m 30s

I'm so excited to launch my new podcast, HymnTalk with Melody Kneezel. I love thinking about the words to old hymns that I've sung a bazillion times and inherently know the words to, but haven't ever really thought about them before. It turns o

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