A Song In Her Heart

Do any of these hymn titles sound familiar: All the Way My Savior Leads Me, Blessed Assurance, The Bright Forever, Close to Thee, Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home, I Am Thine, O Lord, My Savior First of All, Near the Cross, Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior, Praise Him, Praise Him, Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It, Rescue the Perishing, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, Savior, More Than Life to Me, Tell Me the Story of Jesus, To God Be the Glory, and Draw me Nearer?  My guess is that you know at least a few of them.  They all have one thing in common; they were all written by Frances Jane Crosby who lived from 24 March 1820 to 12 February 1915.  She wrote so many hymns that the publishers were afraid to have them all attributed to one author, so Crosby wrote under many pseudonyms. She wrote 8000 hymns!

Frances, also known as “Fanny”, was a lifelong Methodist.  She was blind from infancy, but that did not deter her.  In 1835, just before her 15th birthday, Crosby enrolled at the New York Institution for the Blind, a state-financed school. She remained there for 8 years as a student, and another 2 years as a graduate pupil, during which she learned to play the piano, organ, harp, and guitar, and became a good soprano singer.

In the summer of 1843, Crosby met her future husband, Alexander Van Alstyne, Jr., was a church organist. He too was blind, and they met at the New York Institute for the Blind.  They had 1 child, Frances, who died in her sleep as an infant. 

On her tombstone, the following words are engraved: “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.”

Let us pray:  O God, the blessed assurance of all who trust in you: We give you thanks for your servant Fanny Crosby, who, though blind from infancy, beheld your glory with great clarity of vision and spent her life giving voice to your people’s heartfelt praise; and we pray that we, inspired by her words and example, may rejoice to sing of your love, praising our Savior all the day long; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God in perfect harmony, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

SEASIDE SENIORS AT ST. AUGSUTINE’S SUTTON HALL, Thursday, 21 February 2013.

The Painted Church Tour—only 6 spots left: So email ms.walk.1@hotmail.comor call Ms. Allen at 832-244-1817 to let her know if you are interested.

MARDI GRAS AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S HOSTED BY OUR KING & QUEEN OF MARDI GRAS, BILL & TAMMIE TAYLOR, in Sutton Hall tomorrow at 6 p.m.

ASH WEDNESDAY IS FEBRUARY 13, Ash Wednesday Liturgy with the Imposition of Ashes at 6 p.m.

LENTEN PROGRAM: Starting at 6 p.m. with the Way of the Cross, Eucharist, light supper and then the program with—

Feb. 20: The Rev. Allen Robinson, Rector of St. James in Baltimore, Maryland, and a Galveston native and a son of St. Augustine (1410 41st St.)

Feb. 27: Br. Michael Gallagher, OSB & Fr. Peter Funk, OSB, Benedictine Monks and Co-Founders of Holy Cross Monastery at Grace (1115 36th St.)

 

Mar. 6: Ms. Kathy Culmer, Storyteller & Diocesan Mission Funding Coordinator at Trinity (2216 Ball Ave)

Mar. 13: The Rev. Canon John Newton, Diocese of Texas Canon for Lifelong Christian Formation, at St. Augustine (1410 41st St.)

Mar. 20: The Rev. Pittman McGehee, Priest, Author & Jungian Analyst, at Grace (1115 36th St.)

Mar. 27: The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, at Trinity (2216 Ball Ave)

3^rdANNUAL ST. AUGUSTINE’S BIG MISTA & FRIENDS BBQ ON SATURDAY, 27 APRIL 2013. If you haven’t volunteered, please do so.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Marilyn and her entire family, Dave, and Bob who is in hospice care.

Your servant in Christ,         

The Rev. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550