My Hope Is in the Lord

78 My Hope Is in the Lord

1 My Hope is in the Lord, who gave Himself for me
   And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary

Refrain
   For me He died; For me He lives,
   And everlasting life and light He freely gives.

2 No merit of my own His anger to suppress,
   My only hope is found in Jesus' righteousness

3 And now for me He stands Before the Father's throne;
   He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.

4 His grace has planned it all, 'Tis mine but to believe
   And recognize His work of love and Christ receive.
                         Norman J. Clayton
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
I don't recall this hymn, but then, it only occurs in twenty-five hymnals. I feel a special connection to the hymnwriter, though, because when I was in elementary school, Wisconsin Public Radio had a weekly broadcast on Wednesday afternoons that was entitled "Let's Sing," which he hosted (it was part of the Wisconsin School of the Air and it ran from 1956–1974). Many of the songs were written by him, but it also included all kinds of Americana songs.

Every year, at the end of the year, we could purchase our copy of that year's songbook. One year, the teacher allowed us to have it for free if we agreed to sing a song from the book in front of the class. She allowed us to sing in duets, trios, and quartets so we wouldn't feel as embarassed. I always bought them (except for the year when we got it free!). One year, he even came to Menomonie and held a sing-along.
</idle musing>