Just a closer walk with Thee

C                       G
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
                        C
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
                     F
I’ll be satisfied as long
     C            G             C
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Refrain
                        G 
Just a closer walk with Thee,
                       C
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
                       F
Daily walking close to Thee,
       C        G            C
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

Refrain

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Refrain

While shepherds watched their flocks by night

      C         G
While shepherds watched
      F         C
Their flocks by night
    C      D      G
All seated on the ground
    F            G         E
The angel of the Lord came down
    G     F       C
And glory shone around

"Fear not," he said,
For mighty dread
Had seized their troubled minds
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind."

"To you in David's
Town this day
Is born of David's line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign."

"The heavenly Babe
You there shall find
To human view displayed
And meanly wrapped
In swathing bands
And in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph,
And forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song

"All glory be to
God on high
And to the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth
From heaven to men
Begin and never cease!"

Announcing Guitar Chords for Hymns Inaugural “Music and Lyrics” Competition

In celebration of four years of guitarchordsforhymns.wordpress.com we are hosting a competition aimed at encouraging amateur guitar (and banjo, ukulele and other similar instrument) players to improve their skills and display their passion for the performance of hymns in church and in their own personal worship time at home. As it is currently holiday time in a few different countries round the world, we hope that you may have some spare time to get practising!

The competition opens today July 12, 2012 and closes August 31, 2012.

Step 1: Pick one of the following hymns:
– Come Thou Fount
– Amazing Grace
– To God be the Glory
– When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
– And can It Be

Step 2: Choose whether you will play solo or with others. You may choose to sing and play at the same time or play with a a vocalist or have multiple instruments and multiple vocalists! Its up to you, but we suggest you think about making sure that the volume of the guitar(s) or other stringed instruments is appropriate for the numbers and/or volume of singers that you use. You may choose guitar, banjo, ukelele or any similar instrument.

Step 3: Practise alot!

Step 4: Record your performance in a format that is able to be uploaded to youtube.com

Step 5: Upload your video to youtube.com and be sure to include the following link, to either: guitarchordsforhymns.com or guitarchordsforhymns.wordpress.com

( If you do not include the link your entry will not be eligible).

Step 6: You must link the url of your youtube.com video to the comment stream on this post by midnight on 31 August, 2012 in order to be eligible for voting.

Prize: At present Guitar Chords for Hymns does not have the funds to provide any type of tangible prize. You are competing solely for the glory of being the most popular act on the guitarchordsforhymns.com website. The website has more than half a million people visit it each year, so alot of people may be looking at your entry!

You may repost a link to this post or guitarchordsforhymns.com website on your blog, your facebook account, your church homepage (with their permission) or elsewhere that you think that others might find it to enter the competition. Please only post considerately.

Questions: If you have a question about the entry process please make a comment on the “Music Lyrics” Competition post.

Voting: Will open on the website on September 1, 2012 and close on September 21, 2012. The winner and any runners up will be posted within a few days of the closing of the poll.

We really hope we get enough entries to make this competition fun and interesting for everyone involved. Even if you are too young to enter, we hope that it encourages you to get practising with your friends and family. If you are 15 or over, please don’t be shy, get practising and have a go!

For the Conditions of Entry click on the following link: http://guitarchordsforhymns.com/competition-details/

More new hymns?

There’s been some really good suggestions for new hymns, but we can still handle some more. Comments are now open, so you don’t need to register

O Little Town of Bethlehem

  C              F 
O little town of Bethlehem, 
    C        G        C
How still we see thee lie; 
 C                 F 
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep 
    C      G        C 
The silent stars go by. 
    C                    E 
Yet in the dark streets shineth 
    Am          E 
The everlasting light; 
    C                  F 
The hopes and fears of all the years 
    C      G      C 
Are met in thee tonight. 

For Christ is born of Mary; 
And gathered all above, 
While mortals sleep the angels keep 
Their watch of wond'ring love. 
O morning stars together 
Proclaim the holy birth; 
And praises sing to God the King, 
And peace to men on earth.

How silent, how silently 
The wondrous gift is giv'n! 
So God imparts to human hearts 
The blessings of His heav'n. 
No ear may hear His coming, 
But in this world of sin, 
Where meek souls will receive Him still, 
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, 
Descend to us, we pray; 
Cast out our sin and enter in, 
Be born in us today. 
We hear the Christmas angels 
The great glad tidings tell; 
O come to us, abide with us, 
Our Lord, Emmanuel. 

‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

G                C        G                  
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, 
                 A      D
Just to take him at his word;
G               C      G           
Just to rest up-on his promise, 
        C           D         G
Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

(chorus)
G             D                                
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! 
G                   A        A
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
G             C        G             
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 
      C        D         G
O for grace to trust him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

O Shepherd Divine

D                                           
O Shepherd divine, I know Thou art mine; 
    A                           D
Thy search in the night was for me.
D                                                  
This bleak world is cold, but warm is Thy fold; 
   A                  D 
My Shepherd, I follow Thee.
    G                      D
Thy beautiful lamp shineth bright o'er my way,
    E                   A  
Thy glorious light unto Thy per-fect day.
D                                                
Thro' pastures serene, Thro' valleys of green, 
   A                  D
My Shepherd, I follow Thee.

O Shepherd divine, I know Thou art mine;
Thy great heart was broken for me.
Thy grace and Thy law I picture in awe;
They kissed upon Calvary.
Ah! Life that was given to ransom my soul,
Ah! Heart that was broken to make sinners whole, 
This world is but loss
In view of Thy cross,
My Shepherd, I follow Thee.

O Shepherd divine, I know Thou art mine;
I hear Thee say, “Follow thou Me.”
Thy message today illumines my way;
The Spirit of Prophecy.
I thrill at Thy marvellous love to Thy sheep,
The way Thou dost lead to the still waters deep,
One staff and one rod,
One fold and one God;
My Shepherd, I follow Thee. 

In The Garden

G
I come to the garden alone
          C                   G
While the dew is still on the roses
          D                  G     Em
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
    A              D
The Son of God discloses.

(Refrain)
       G                     D
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
       C                 G
And He tells me I am His own;
               D           C
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
G              D    G
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Refrain

Jesus Calls Us

G     D                 G      
Jesus calls us o'er the tumult
       C                     G    
Of our life's wild, restless sea;
       A                   G         
Day by day his sweet voice soundeth,
        C                  G           
Saying, "Christian, follow me!"

As of old Saint Andrew heard it
By the Galilean lake,
Turned from home and toil and kindred,
Leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love Me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Savior may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.

Blessed Assurance

A         D        G        D 
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
D         A            E       A 
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
A         D        G           D 
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
D           G       A             D 
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

A          D      G          D      
This is my story, this is my song, 
G           D        E           A
praising my Saviour, all the day long;
A          D      G          D                  
This is my story, this is my song, 
D           G        A           D
praising my Saviour, all the day long.

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.