An Irish personal evangelistic site. I'm not representing a particular church, but it's broadly evangelical in tone. My aim is to cover topics I've encountered in discussions I've had over the years, mainly here in Ireland..
Hymns and memories of specific years or hymn categories
All hymns point to God, and thinking about God is always going to bring some element of joy, but here I’m thinking particularly of songs with joyful melodies, sometimes associated with Jewish folk music. Way back in the 1970s, Stuart Dauermann wrote Trees of the Field (You Shall Go Out with Joy) for the Liberated … Continue reading Hymn Themes: Joyful Melodies
In September 1983, I returned to Ireland (from London) and settled back into Cork Baptist Church. I started teacher training in Limerick, but I returned home to Cork every weekend. In London, I had met Christians from all sorts of backgrounds, visited various types of churches, and engaged in all sorts of theological debates. Some … Continue reading Hymns: 1984 Memories
Some of my favourite hymns are on the theme of majesty. In common language we use the word for royals or in sarcastic comments – Here’s your crown your majesty or Here you go your majesty (Simpsons)😀. But when used for God, it’s altogether different. The word “majesty,” when used in relation to God, conveys … Continue reading Hymn Themes: Majesty
I left for London in September 1982 to spend a year as a voluntary evangelist (VE) with London City Mission. In today’s terms, it could be described as a gap year program. Most were approaching their 20s or in their 20s. The 23 or so other VEs came from all parts of the UK. I … Continue reading Hymns: 1983 Memories
In January 1982, I went to my first concert since I became a Christian. U2 were playing in the City Hall, and a friend persuaded me to go along. They opened with Gloria, which was one of my favourites. I felt a little strange being back in the ‘worldly’ concert scene. I also felt a … Continue reading Hymns: 1982 Memories
I mentioned in my last post, that I started attending Cork Baptist Church in the autumn of 1980. Unlike the Pentecostal and charismatic groups in Cork at the time, Cork Baptist Church had been there for hundreds of years. It goes all the way back to 1640. But, unlike other Protestant churches in the city, … Continue reading Hymns: 1981 Memories
I date my conversion to Sunday August 17th, 1980, about a month after I bought Saved, by Bob Dylan, in Pat Egan’s record store in Patrick Street Cork. I initially attended The Upper Room, which at that time was in a street off Camden Quay in Cork, above some sort of a fruit warehouse. I … Continue reading Hymns: 1980 Memories
In this series, I’m remembering hymns from different eras of my life, starting with childhood. I was a Roman Catholic up to 1980, when I turned 18. In this post, I’ll look back at hymns that we sang at Mass, back in the 1960s and 70s, and some I was familiar with outside of church. … Continue reading Hymns: Childhood Memories
Hibernia Gospel 