Open Your Hymnals

When we talk about Adventist hymn writers, one name is almost impossible to ignore:  Franklin E. Belden . If you grew up Adventist, you have probably sung his hymns without realizing it. His words and tunes are woven deeply into our hymnody. He was gifted, prolific, practical, and remarkably tuned in to what congregations could sing. But here is where the story becomes uncomfortable. Franklin Beld...

References: “ Brother, Be Faithful .”  Hymnary.org ,  https://hymnary.org/text/o_brother_be_faithful_soon_jesus_will_co . Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.  “ Hymns .”  Encyclopedia.com ,  https://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/hymns . Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.  “ O Brother, Be Faithful .”  Amazing Facts Bible Universe ,  https://manna.amazingfacts.or...

Resources: “Advent Pioneers Biographical Sketches and Pictures.”  Ellen G. White Writings , m.egwwritings.org. “Battle Creek, Mich., Tuesday, March 10, 1903.”  Advent Review and Sabbath Herald , vol. 80, no. 10, 10 Mar. 1903,  Adventist Archives . “General Conference Session of 1888.”  Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists , encyclopedia.adventist.org. “Pathways of the Pioneers – Uriah Smith.”  E...

In this episode, we will talk about one of the three hymns Annie Smith wrote: “How Far From Home?”

A spotlight on Annie Smith and the pivotal role she played in the early days of the Adventist movement.

In Part 2, we slow down and sit with the words themselves. We’ll take a deeper dive into the hymn text—what it’s actually saying, why it resonates so powerfully with Adventist hope, and how it can be lived out in practical ways in everyday life. Then we’ll listen with fresh ears as the Almost Home piano arrangement interprets that same longing, urgency, and promise in sound—turning theology into m...

Resources Mentioned:1. - TTBB (Mack Wilberg)2. - SATB (Mark Hayes)3. -SATB (Lloyd Larson)4. - SSA (Ken Berg) 5. (Irene Bennett) 6. (JV Himes & Josiah Litch) 7. (BF White) Resources Used:1. (piano accompaniment)2. (Sofia Tsatalbasidis & Thomas Mayhew) 3. (AJ Consolacion II) Purchase Resources: (For the scores I don’t own, I receive a small commission without additional costs to you)1. - Mus...

Resources mentioned: 1. (Bryn Terfel) 2. (Ted Wilson) 3. (Oliver Jacques) 4. (Ludwig van Beethoven) 5. (Gustav Holst / Jean Sibelius) 6. (C. Mervyn Maxwell) 7. (John MacDuff) 8. (WIlliam Williams) 9. (Hymns for Worship) 10. (Hymns for Worship) 11. (Hymns for Worship)  12. 13. 14. - Audio 15. - Music sheet Transcript available here: https://hymnsforworship.org/the-three-messages-and-revelation-14-a...