What a friend we have in Jesus

Image: 'My Friend' by Helen Thomas Robson; © 2010; used with permission; https://www.htrbydesign.com/

I'm currently reading God on Mute by Pete Greig, in which he includes the story of how Joseph Scriven (1819 - 1886) came to write the hymn, What a friend we have in Jesus.  It's certainly not the only Christian hymn written following intense suffering in the life of the author - in fact, I began this blog with a post on another: It is well with my soul.  

For many older folk, What a friend we have in Jesus is a favourite from Sunday School days.  It always went down well with the clients of St Mary's Care Centre in Halewood, when it was included in one of their weekly services when I was Vicar at the Church there.  I can't remember when I first learned it, but I'm sure it wasn't when I was a child.  

There are a number of retellings of Joseph Scriven's life story which I've found online.  They don't all agree on the details, but the broad outline is that he was born and grew up in County Down in Ireland.  He studied at Trinity College Dublin.  He'd fallen in love and was engaged to be married, but tragically, his fiancée died in an accident not long before their wedding was due to take place. 

As he struggled to come to terms with what had happened, Scriven decided to leave Ireland.  He emigrated to Canada, where he settled in Ontario.  It's believed that he originally wrote the words of What a friend we have in Jesus to send to his mother in Ireland, because he couldn't afford to travel back there at a time when she was in great need of comfort.  He never intended his poem to be published, although he did publish Hymns and Other Verses in 1869 - 115 of his own compositions, but not including What a friend we have in Jesus.  

The usual tune for What a friend we have in Jesus is called Converse, after the composer, Charles Crozat Converse (1832 - 1918).  It was first published in 1870, five years after the words are first known to have been published. 

What a friend we have in Jesus became popular after Ira Sankey included it in Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs, published in 1875.  Sankey erroneously attributed it to Horatius Bonar (author of Fill thou my life, O Lord my God and I heard the voice of Jesus say).  When Scriven was asked about the hymn, he's reported to have replied, "The Lord and I did it between us."

Eventually Scriven fell in love and became engaged for a second time.  It seems unbelievably cruel that once again, he suffered the bereavement of his fiancée.  Eliza Roach fell ill and died before she and Scriven could be married.  

Scriven's experiences of loss and hardship combined with his knowledge of Scripture, as expressed in this hymn, continue to provide comfort and hope to struggling believers today: 

What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer! 
O what peace we often forfeit!
O what needless pain we bear!
All because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend to faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge,
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In his arms he'll take and shield thee,
thou wilt find a solace there.

 You can listen to this hymn here.

After looking at a number of websites which came up when I searched for What a friend we have in Jesus, most information here comes from Chris Fenner on Hymnology Archive, and from Hymnary.org.

He came to earth (King of kings)

From Altar to Throne by Signe Flink; used with permission

I first remember hearing this song while I was at theological college in the mid-1990s.  It's not an easy one to sing; in fact the Church of Scotland advises: 

There are pitfalls in this passionate song when sung by congregations, and accompanists need to handle the 'empty bars' with skill and resolution, particularly when the arpeggio chords do not 'point to' the note on which the singers come in.

The language of the song isn't necessarily very easy either.  The Singing the Faith plus website of the UK Methodist Church comments:

[Pantry] uses language understood (or maybe not!) by those already bound up in the Church and Christian conversation.

With most hymns and songs, what draws us to them (or not!) is the combination of words and music.  This may not be the easiest song, but it is passionate and powerful, and beautiful when sung well.  Singing the Faith plus points out that He came to earth is a highly personal response to Jesus' self-sacrifice for our sakes.  That response is required of every Christian believer.  I guess these were all factors in my decision to have it sung as a solo during the signing of the registers at my wedding in 1997.  

John Pantry was born in Harrow in 1946.  He originally trained and worked as a recording engineer, and became a Christian in the early 1970s as a result of the influence of Christian artists for whom he produced albums.  He'd already started writing his own songs, and had released one album, but after becoming a Christian, he says, his secular work "just seemed to fold up  . . . the phones stopped ringing."  He continued working in many roles, mainly in the Christian music scene.  In 1993, he was ordained as a Non-Stipendiary (ie not paid) Minister in the Church of England, and in 1995, he joined the staff of Premier Christian Radio as a presenter.  He recently (June 2020) retired from his position as presenter of Inspirational Breakfast on Premier Christian Radio, after 24 years, which made him the longest-serving national breakfast radio presenter in Britain (see Keep the Faith). 

There is much more information about John Pantry's career (up to 2009) here.  

I can't find any information which relates specifically to this song, which was originally released on Pantry's album The Church Invincible in 1992.  Neither have I been able to source a lyric video.  You can see the lyrics of He came to earth here, where you'll also find a link to play the song on Youtube.