HymnTalk with Melody Kneezel

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: "Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for thee." I hope you'll take a listen to O Sacred Head, Now Wounded as we begin this Lenten season.

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 being our friend.

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 ;)!) and all about Fanny Crosby's fascinating life and experience as a hymn writer and poet. Then, as always, we dive into the deeper meaning of the lyrics, where we experience God right now on earth with our senses, and we imagine what it'll be like someday when we're in heaven with him.

Autobiography of Fanny  Crosby mentioned in the episode:
Ruffin, Bernard. Fanny Crosby: (Heroes of the Faith); United Church Press, 1975
https://www.amazon.com/Fanny-Crosby-Heroes-Faith-Concordia/dp/1593103832 

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. And it's such a good one about giving every part of your life to the LORD. Enjoy, and be blessed in your walk with the LORD and in your worship. :)

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 you are as you listen to I Need Thee Every Hour.

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 rooted in Christ. So let's study an old favorite, "Be Thou My Vision" to see how God speaks through this hymn in light of the new year.

It's in with the old to see something new. It's time for HymnTalk - 2021!

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! 

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 why that song has become so beloved to generations.

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 us right into the deepest waters. I'm so grateful for Christ's resurrection, and this hymn means so much more to me after studying it! I can't wait to share it with you!

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 it continues to encourage us as we face tough circumstances in our life together.