Another new hymn for this year had two-fold inspiration. One day at church, I learned that I would be teaching our youngest children about the Trinity in Sunday School this coming summer. About the same time, I heard one of our lay pianists, Joshua Ku, playing a lovely tune of an iteration with which I had previously been unfamiliar. When I asked him the name, he called it “Kingsfold.”

I learned from a bit of research that there are two different Kingsfold tunes. One known as the British tune, in 4/4 time, is beloved as the melody of “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say.” But the other known as the Irish tune, in 3/4 time, serves as melody to a lesser known but equally beautiful Fanny Crosby hymn called “O Love Divine.”

I am no Fanny Crosby, to be sure. But I felt moved to take that melody she had used and write new words to proclaim still-true basic points of how the Three in One is present in creation, in justification, and in sanctification. Below are those words and then a recording with accompanying piano by Brother Joshua and my dear Paul on bass. Be blessed.

Trinity

By three and one all things were formed

From the Father’s breath all worlds were born

At the Son’s command all things made new

In the Spirit’s move, our souls restored…

By three in one we’ve been redeemed

Our Father’s plan to set us free

His Son the willing sacrifice

Imbued with their own Spirit’s strength…

By three and one we grow in grace

The Father’s truth will light our way

The Son’s great heart increase our love

The Spirit teach wisdom every day

The Father calls, the Son sustains

The Spirit all our need translates

That we who have believed may find Him faithful all our days