“Love Divine All Loves Excelling was the opening hymn at Pender's 9:00 am Traditional Service on July 23, 2023 It was sung by Pender's congregation, accompanied on piano by Heidi Jacobs and flute by Brian Stevenson.
The Pender UMC Traditional Service Opening Hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" on Sunday June 26, 2022 was accompanied by Liz Sellers on piano and sung by the Pender Congregation.
Watch the entire service here
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling was the opening hymn sung by Pender's Choir and Congregation on September 19, 2021 at the Traditional Service.
The clarinet was played by Brian Stevenson
The flute was played by Jane McKee
The organ was played by Liz Eunji Sellers
Watch the entire service here
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
Charles Wesley
UM Hymnal, No. 384
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was a prolific hymn writer of the 18th century. Coming from a musical family, he left a lasting legacy of congregational song.
The youngest of 18 children, Charles possessed prodigious talents that soon blossomed. Little did he know that “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” would rise to become one of the most popular and consistently vocalized Christian songs.
Writing hymn texts that are solidly based on the Scriptures gives them an appeal across denominational lines. It is estimated that during his lifetime, Wesley penned more than 9,000 poems of a spiritual nature, 6,000 of which are hymns. His writings were passionate and well-crafted, conveying the true essence of Christian teaching.
