When I was pregnant with Tommy, we decided to pick a special hymn for each of our kids. It wasn’t our own idea–I give all the credit to Noel Piper in her excellent book, Treasuring God in Our Traditions. I love this book, and I especially love the Pipers’ idea of giving their children a special heritage with a hymn selected especially for them. Mrs. Piper shares how her kids have sung that hymn at their baptisms and even at their weddings! Those of you readers who attended our wedding may remember that we sang “We Come, O Christ, to Thee” because it was the hymn my parents sang at their wedding. We’re big on significant hymns in this family, so we prayed for a few months about picking the right hymn for our firstborn.
For Tommy, we wanted to underscore the amazing, salvific love that Jesus has for him. We want him to come to know and love Him at an early age–or, as I say to him, “to be on Jesus’ team!” So we picked “O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus.” We sang it at his dedication ceremony (pictured below), and we sing it together every night before he goes to bed. We want him to grow up knowing and loving it!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
what a sweet idea 🙂 I love family traditions like that!
that is really special-will you care if we copy one day 🙂