Last week, I posted a 3 steps to hosting an easy hymn sing and talked about it on the podcast. This week, I have a template for a “Journey to the Cross” with 60 hymns to choose from, so you can have a cohesive hymn sing focused on the Cross.
The hymn sing’s theme is “Journey to the Cross,” with four progressive sub-themes:
- a Christian’s walk with God (“I want to walk as a child of the light”)
- God’s presence on the journey (“When through fiery trials”)
- adoration of Christ on the cross (“What wondrous love is this?”)
- proclaiming the cross (“The love of Christ proclaim”)
I’ve given each group a more poetic title by pulling a line from one of the hymns in the group. You could choose another fitting title from the hymns you select—there are lots of good options!
For your hymn sing, choose about 2-5 hymns from each group. Personally, I would choose only hymns that your congregational knows and loves, because a hymn sing is a hymn sing (and you can’t sing a hymn that you don’t really know). And of course, my list isn’t exhaustive, so you might want to include hymns that aren’t on the list.
I hope this helps you plan a Lenten hymn sing at your church!
Journey to the Cross, with 60+ hymns to choose from
“I want to walk as a child of the light” (a Christian’s walk with God)
- Be Thou My Vision
- Forty Days and Forty Nights
- The Glory of These Forty Days
- I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
- I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light
- Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
- Just a Closer Walk with Thee
- Lord, I Want to Be a Christian in My Heart
- Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days
- O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
- So the Day Dawn for Me
- Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated
- Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said
- We Walk by Faith and Not By Sight
“When through fiery trials” (God’s presence on the journey)
- Amazing Grace
- Be Still, My Soul
- By Gracious Powers
- Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
- Come to Me, O Weary Traveler
- Great Is Thy Faithfulness
- He Who Would Valiant Be
- How Can I Keep from Singing?
- How Firm a Foundation
- I Call on Thee, Lord Jesus
- I Want Jesus to Walk with Me
- If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee
- Jesus, Lover of My Soul
- Jesus, Still Lead On/Jesus Lead the Way
- My Faith Looks Up to Thee
- My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
- My Jesus I Love Thee
- O for a Closer Walk with God
- O Jesus, I Have Promised
- Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee/From Deepest Woe I Cry to Thee
- Precious Lord, Take My Hand
- There Is a Balm
- What a Friend We Have in Jesus
“What wondrous love is this?” (adoring Christ on the cross)
- Abide with Me (possible concluding hymn)
- Ah, Holy Jesus
- Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed
- And Can It Be
- Beneath the Cross of Jesus
- Go to Dark Gethsemane
- He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions
- Here Is Love, Vast as the Ocean
- In the Cross of Christ I Glory
- Jesus Paid It All (“I Hear the Savior Say”)
- Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness
- Lamb of God (“Your Only Son, No Sin to Hide”)
- Lead Me to Calvary (“King of My Life, I Crown Thee Now”)
- Let Thy Blood in Mercy Poured
- My Song Is Love Unknown
- Near the Cross (“Jesus, Keep My Near the Cross”)
- O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High
- O Love of God, How Strong and True
- O Sacred Head Now Wounded/Oh Sacred Head Surrounded
- Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted
- The Old Rugged Cross (“On a Hill Far Away”)
- There Is A Fountain
- When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
- What Wondrous Love Is This
“The love of Christ proclaim” (proclaiming the cross)
- At the Name of Jesus
- Glory to His Name (“Down at the Cross”)
- Hail Thou Once Despised Jesus
- Lift High the Cross
- Tell Out My Soul the Greatness of the Lord
