Christian Prayers & Resources

inspired by the Celtic Christian Church

Amazing Love - A Study for Lent or throughout the year

A series of 5 Bible Studies
based upon the Isaac Watt's hymn
'When I survey the wondrous Cross'
(Can be used at any time of the year)

This wonderful hymn by Isaac Watts encompasses the whole Lent season as it asks us to look, or survey the wonder of the cross - but not only the wonder, he vividly paints the colour of Christ's agony and death on the cross.

This was one of the first English-language hymns to use the word ‘I’ and have at its core personal religious experience. The hymn is also an example of how Isaac Watts, who has been called the father of English hymnody, enlarged the boundaries of English hymn writing beyond the metrical psalms to include freer verse that readily lent itself to new musical settings.

Isaac Watts lived in turbulent times, and as we look at his life, and the words that he has written, it is easy to see the parallels with contemporary society. Most importantly for Christians, he wrote for the masses in words that they could understand. In the preface to Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707) he wrote: ‘I have aimed at ease of numbers and smoothness of sound, and endeavoured to make the sense plain and obvious; if the verse appears so gentle and flowing as to incur the Censure of Feebleness, I may honestly affirm that sometimes it has cost me labour to make it so.’

Sample study - download as a pdf

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Contents

An introduction to the man and his music
(Background material for course leader)

Prayers at the start of a meeting

Studies 1 - 5 each based upon one verse of the hymn
(A4 format, will copy onto two double sided sheets
and includes a series of questions for discussion)

Prayers at the end of a meeting

References and further reading

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This material is presented for ease of duplication, and permission given for this for group use within a single fellowship.

Available only as an ebook at present (pdf format)

Amazing Love ebook (After payment confirmed, click on 'Return to Merchant' button on paypal to get to the download page)

£3.99   or $5.75