Stockton Methodist Circuit

 
In "My Song Is..." the people of the Stockton Circuit whether they be Presbyter, Local Preacher, Worship Leader or member of a congregation share which hymns or worship songs are their favourites, mean the most to them and why. In this edition a Local Preacher shares theirs:
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1) I the Lord of Sea and Sky
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There were two hymns that were in some respect the soundtrack to my high school years this was one of them, we sang this so often at high school that the student body dubbed it the "unofficial school song" and it's probably the first hymn I learned word for word. This is likely my favourite hymn because it is the one that feels like it has been there along my journey every step of the way over the years. As a Local Preacher it's a very clear reminder to me about my call to preach and I view it very much as a reaffirmation each and every time.
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2) My Song is Love Unknown
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My favourite Sunday of the year as a Local Preacher is Palm Sunday and this is my favourite Palm Sunday hymn. I like it because it tells the story of the week and not just of Palm Sunday, which is something I prefer when preaching on Palm Sunday because I think it's important to focus not only on the joy of the entry into Jerusalem but also on what happens next in the build up to Easter. It's also got such a straightforward title, which probably sounds like an odd reason but that makes it more understandable in terms of the message the hymn is communicating.
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3) And Can It Be
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This hymn has a beautiful, inquisitive theme to it in how it asks a question at the start and then explores the question as it leads to the answer. It's very similar to thought processes used by myself when trying to determine what part of a Bible passage to draw on for a theme when preaching. I also enjoy it because just being in a congregation that sings this is something of an experience in itself because the hymn is so well known and sung so often, there's something about the feeling generated by a congregation in full flow singing such a powerful hymn that brings everything together in worship.