Anthem Spotlight: A Faith Medley-5.22.25

This week, we have an Instrumental Anthem as our Choir enjoys a well-deserved respite for the holiday weekend. We are pleased to welcome Dale Young again to join me in providing a beautiful arrangement of two well-known hymns. Both will illustrate the wonder and joy of faith in the Lord.

The Anthem opens with “As The Deer Pants.” This is a very lyrical melody created under a rather unique circumstance. It was written by Marty Nystrom in 1984 when he was feeling tremendous pressure from his academic studies and professional ministry commitments. His roommate challenged him to fast in order to draw closer to God and rekindle his joy. On day 19, Marty sat down at a piano and began playing some chords. As he did, he noticed that his Bible nearby was open to Psalm 42. He began to sing the words of the psalm, and the song was born.

Our piece continues with “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.” This is another beautiful hymn resulting from a young man’s search for the Lord. Ray Palmer wrote this hymn when he was just 22 years old. He suffered from physical illness and depression. One day, he came across a German poem that told of a sinner kneeling before the cross. He took those lines and added four more verses to create the hymn. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that he encountered a friend in the hymnal publishing business—Lowell Mason, who had written many famous hymn tunes. When Palmer shared the poem, Mason said to him, “You may live many years and do many good things, but I think you will be best known to posterity as the author of My Faith Looks Up To Thee."

May you be strengthened and encouraged in your personal faith as you listen to these beautiful hymns.