Almost 100 people from the East Midlands and beyond flocked to Melton Mowbray URC on Saturday 21 September to join in celebrating the 350th anniversary of the birth of one of our most illustrious Congregational forebears: Isaac Watts, known worldwide as the father of English hymnody. You can now watch the full event on our Synod YouTube channel.
Watts knew the Melton District well as a young man, when he was engaged as a tutor by the Hartopp family of Freeby and Stoke Newington; it is possible that he preached his very first sermon at Freeby Congregational Chapel. Freeby’s congregation eventually merged with that of Melton Mowbray, so it made a fitting venue for these festivities.
As befits a birthday celebration, the event began in song and ended in feasting. Aided by singers and musicians from St Andrew’s with Castle Gate URC, our Synod Clerk Dr Graham Jennings invited attenders to join in lively singing of an opening set of hymns – including an attempted reconstruction of the raucous style in which his hymns might first have been sung!
Of the 750 hymns and more that Watts wrote in his lifetime, there was room for a mere dozen in the celebration, but they included the favourites nominated by attenders – among them “Joy to the world”, “Our God, our help in ages past” and of course “When I survey the wondrous cross”. Melton’s organist Thomas Corden did sterling work at the manuals.
Following a welcome from minister The Revd Craig Muir, Moderator The Revd Geoffrey Clarke introduced a series of contributors. Marcia Coxhead gave details of Watts’s local connections, while Helen Lidgett and The Revd Peter Sharp delivered the Bible readings. The keynote speaker was The Revd Dr Robert Pope of Westminster College, who brought humour as well as expertise to his description of Watts’s formation, context and theology, vividly illuminating his multi-faceted legacy.
Attenders joined in an Act of Thanksgiving specially written for the occasion by the Revd Dr Susan Durber, which they also took away in the form of a souvenir bookmark, and before dispersing were treated to delicacies including Melton Mowbray pork pies, cake and drinks. We thank the members of Melton Mowbray URC for making everybody so welcome and trust that Dr Watts would consider himself well toasted.
All bar the pork pies can be enjoyed in a professional video recording hosted at: https://youtu.be/l_4mJcN5oMc .
An Act of Thanksgiving for Isaac Watts
By The Revd Dr Susan Durber
Thank you, God our Maker,
for giving us Isaac Watts,
who crafted such fine words to sing your praise.
From all that dwell below the skies
let the Creator’s praise arise.
Thank you, God of enduring faithfulness,
for inspiring a dissatisfied hymn singer
to compose new words for worship.
Where reason fails, with all her powers,
there faith prevails, and love adores.
Thank you, God who forgives and redeems,
for words that express the deepest faith
stirring it still within those who sing.
Wonders of grace to God belong,
repeat his mercies in your song
Thank you, God of the deepest love,
for emotions kindled and set free,
for worship that is heartfelt and life changing.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
Thank you, God of the living and the dead,
for words from a saint once among us,
whose words may carry us to our final breath.
While life and thought and being last,
or immortality endures.
Thank you, God who brings delight to all creation,
speaking through scripture and Spirit,
for Isaac’s timeless skill and eternal joy.
Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns!
Let all their songs employ.