Sing To The Lord! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Christian

It is believed that this song was a spiritual written by slaves in 1750s Virginia. They were influenced by the preaching of Samuel Davies, who was one of the first non-Anglican ministers in Virginia; he was especially sent to the colony to preach to the slaves. The song was first printed in 1907 in the "Folk Songs of the American Negro".

Answer: Risen

Originally a Latin hymn written in the 1300s called "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today", Charles Wesley rewrote the song in 1739. Wesley called the song in "Hymn for Easter Day" and included it his his "Hymns and Sacred Poems". The song continues to be associated with Easter services today in many churches.

Answer: Way

Published in 1907 by Adelaide A. Pollard, the hymn, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord", has a connection with an event in her personal life. Pollard wanted to become a missionary to Africa, but was unable to raise money needed. One night at a prayer service she heard an elderly woman comment, "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your own way with our lives".

She wrote the song based on Jeremiah 18:3, "So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel".

Answer: Prayer

"The Lord's Prayer" was written to music by Albert Hay Malotte in 1935. It is interesting to note that while Malotte began his career as an organist, he did not necessarily play church music; he played music that accompanied silent films! He won two Short Short Subject Academy Awards while working for Disney - one for "Ferdinand the Bull" in 1938, and the other for "The Ugly Ducking" in 1940.

His musical adaptation of "The Lord's Prayer", however had been recorded by several musical artists - even the Beach Boys! - and has remained a popular choice for weddings and other church-related events.

Answer: Thine

Fanny Crosby wrote the words to this hymn in one night after speaking to William Howard Doane, the writer of the melody, about feeling the closeness of God. Her inspiration also came from Hebrews 10:22 - "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water". During her long life Crosby is credited with writing over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs.

Answer: Almighty

First published in 1680 as the German hymn, "Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren", "Praise to the Lord the Almighty", was inspired by Psalm 103 and Psalm 150. Written by Joachim Neander, the melody is believed to have been taken from an earlier folk tune. It was the favored hymn of King Frederick William III of Prussia, who first heard it in 1800.

Answer: Precious

A gospel song, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" was written by Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey after the death of his wife and infant son. It has been translated in over 40 languages, and recorded by many famous artists, such as Elvis, Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson, and Ike and Tina Turner, to name a few. Reportedly a favorite of Martin Luther King, Jr., he had requested that it be sang by Mahalia Jackson at his funeral.

Answer: King

Charles Wesley wrote this hymn to celebrate Easter. It first appeared in his "Hymns for our Lord's Resurrection" in 1746, although it did appear in John Wesley's "Moral and Sacred Poems" in 1744. The song's melody was written by John Darwall.

Answer: Bless

Written by John Rutter, "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" was published by the Oxford University Press in 1981. It is based on what is called the "Priestly Blessing" found in Numbers 6:24-26, and was composed for the memorial service of Edward T. Chapman, who had been one of his mentors while growing up. In 2000 it was sung at the 100th birthday celebration of the Queen Mother.

Answer: Walk

Also called "Trust and Obey", "When We Walk With the Lord" was written after a revival meeting held by an American preacher named Dwight Lyman Moody. Professor Towner, musical director at the Moody Bible Institute, heard one of the people who had been moved by the preaching indicate that he wasn't sure what to do next, he just planned "to trust and obey"; he and John Sammis wrote both the music and lyrics to the song in 1887.