Overview
This song was written by a brilliant pastor serving a very small church in England. When he was offered the chance to get out of the whistle-stop town where he pastored, he said, “yes.” However, right before departing, with all of his worldly good stacked on the carriage, his wife lamented the difficulty of leaving their people without a shepherd.
He ordered everything unloaded from his carriage and spent the rest of his career serving the people whose bonds were forged by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Keys
D is a pretty simple key to play for this song. With the guitar, it lends to the fun 7th chords that many hymns lend toward or a more introspective open chord pattern between the D and the A.
Use in Worship
This one is a pretty niche song. It is heavy on the idea of our bonded relationships with one another because of Christ. Because of that, it needs context of farewells. Because it concludes with the idea that if we are separated, we are still joined, it is only really relevant when members of a church are being separated.
Lyrics
| 1 | Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship our spirit finds Is like to that above. |
| 2 | Before our Father’s throne, We pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one— Our comforts and our cares. |
| 3 | We share our mutual woes; Our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. |
| 4 | When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again. |
| 5 | From sorrow, toil, and pain, And sin we shall be free; And perfect love and oneness reign Through all eternity. |
Categories: Worship
