A Popular Hymn

What a Friend We Have in Jesus
The way Jesus befriends us is nicely reflected in one
of the world's most popular hymns, "What a Friend We
Have in Jesus." Out of Christendom's some 400,000
hymns, it is considered to be one of the top ten. This
incredible popularity comes for a hymn that was never
intended to be published. Joseph Scriven wrote the hymn
in 1855 to send from his home in Ontario, Canada, to
his mother in Ireland. His goal was simply to comfort
his mother during a difficult time in her life. It
wasn't until 30 years later that the hymn was
discovered by a friend who was caring for Scriven in
his final illness. Once put in circulation the hymn
quickly became a favorite. 
  -- From "Hymns" section of Luther Seminary home page,
  St. Paul, MN. Cited in "Preaching on the Lessons"
  by Carol M. Gregg, The Clergy Journal, Feb. 2000, 
  p. 54. Cited on www.sermons.com