Jesus Calls Us, O'er the Tumult

Representative Text

1. Jesus calls us o'er the tumult
Of our life's wild, restless sea;
Day by day his sweet voice sounding,
Saying, "Christian, follow me."

2. Brothers Simon, Andrew heard it
By the Galilean lake,
Turned from home, and toil, and kindred,
Leaving all for His dear sake.

3. Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love me more.”

4. In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love me more than these.”

5. Jesus calls us—By your mercies,
Savior, may we hear your call,
Give our hearts to your obedience,
Serve and love you best of all.

Source: Hymns and Devotions for Daily Worship #61

Author: Cecil Frances Alexander

As a small girl, Cecil Frances Humphries (b. Redcross, County Wicklow, Ireland, 1818; Londonderry, Ireland, 1895) wrote poetry in her school's journal. In 1850 she married Rev. William Alexander, who later became the Anglican primate (chief bishop) of Ireland. She showed her concern for disadvantaged people by traveling many miles each day to visit the sick and the poor, providing food, warm clothes, and medical supplies. She and her sister also founded a school for the deaf. Alexander was strongly influenced by the Oxford Movement and by John Keble's Christian Year. Her first book of poetry, Verses for Seasons, was a "Christian Year" for children. She wrote hymns based on the Apostles' Creed, baptism, the Lord's Supper, the Ten Commandment… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Jesus calls us, o'er the tumult
Title: Jesus Calls Us, O'er the Tumult
Author: Cecil Frances Alexander (1852)
Meter: 8.7.8.7
Language: English
Notes: Spanish translation: See "Desde el cielo Cristo llama"
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1-2 = Matt. 4:18-20, Mark 1:16-18
st. 3 = John 21:15
st. 4 = Rom. 12: 1

Irish hymn writer Cecil F. Alexander (PHH 346) wrote this text for St. Andrew's Day. The appointed gospel reading for that day in the church year concerned Jesus' calling of Simon Peter and Andrew (Matt. 4: 18-20). Her text was published in the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge's (SPCK) Hymns for Public Worship (1852). Though written for a relatively minor saint's day, this hymn quickly gained popularity. It was frequently altered (sometimes mutilated) in later hymnals; Alexander herself prepared an inferior revision about twenty years after the text's first publication. The original third stanza is omitted.

The thread that binds the stanzas together is the call of Christ. Just as Jesus called the fishermen to be his disciples, he still calls us today to be his followers and obedient servants. His call is for total commitment, a "follow me" that overrides all our earthly "cares and pleasures."

Liturgical Use:
Worship that focuses on God's call, his summons to obedience; profession of faith; ordination and commissioning; evangelistic meetings.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
==================
Jesus calls us; [mid] o'er the tumult. Cecil F. Alexander, née Humphreys. [St. Andrew.] Contributed to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Hymns, &c, 1852, No. 116, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines. Its use has become very extensive in most English-speaking countries. Usually the original text is followed, but here and there slight variations are introduced, as, for instance, in Hymns Ancient & Modern, where stanza iv., line 4, reads, “That we love Him more than these," for "Christian, love Me more than these." In 1871 a mutilated text was given in the S. P. C. K. Church Hymns. This led to a revision of the original by Mrs. Alexander, which was given in the folio edition, 1881, and later editions of Church Hymns, as Mrs. Alexander's authorised text. It is easily recognised by the refrain of stanzas i.—iii., “Softly, clearly—‘Follow Me.’" This text differs very materially from the original, and in comparison with it, will commend itself to very few. In the Anglican Hymn Book, 1868, the opening line reads, "Jesus call us, mid the tumult." Other alterations are also introduced very much to the injury of the hymn.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

You have access to this FlexScore.
Download:
Are parts of this score outside of your desired range? Try transposing this FlexScore.
General Settings
Stanza Selection
Voice Selection
Text size:
Music size:
Transpose (Half Steps):
Capo:
Contacting server...
Contacting server...
Questions? Check out the FAQ

A separate copy of this score must be purchased for each choir member. If this score will be projected or included in a bulletin, usage must be reported to a licensing agent (e.g. CCLI, OneLicense, etc).

This is a preview of your FlexScore.
Baptist Hymnal 1991 #293
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
The Cyber Hymnal #3271
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #553
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
Small Church Music #3886
  • PDF Score (PDF)
Timeless Truths #1021
  • Jesus_Calls_Us.pdf (PDF)
The United Methodist Hymnal #398
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
Worship and Rejoice #345

Instances

Instances (401 - 500 of 952)
Page Scan

Men's Gospel Quartets #100

Mennonite Hymn Book #d172

TextPage Scan

Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #337

Page Scan

Millennial Revival #184

Mirfield Mission Hymn Book #61

Page Scan

Missionary Hymnal #38

Page Scan

Missionary Hymnal #109

Page Scan

Montreat Hymns #271

Page Scan

Montreat Hymns #405

TextPage Scan

Moravian Book of Worship #600

National Baptist Convention Hymnal #d20

Page Scan

New Baptist Hymnal #188

New Joy in Service Songs No. 5 #d51

Page Scan

New Songs for Service #154

New Songs of Inspiration Book Five #d110

New Songs of Inspiration No. 4 #d123

Page Scan

New Soul Winning Songs #278

New Victory #a127

New Worship and Song #43

Page Scan

Northfield Hymnal No. 2 #22

Page Scan

Northfield Hymnal No. 3 #196

Page Scan

Northfield Hymnal #201

Page Scan

Northfield Hymns for Young People #51

Page Scan

Offices of Worship and Hymns #269

Page Scan

Old Time Glory #99

Page Scan

Old Time Revival #136

Old Time Revival Songs #d58

Page Scan

Our Great Redeemer's Praise #520

Page Scan

Palmer's Book of Gems #13

Page Scan

Pentecostal Hymns No. 4 #159

Page Scan

Pentecostal Hymns Nos. 3 and 4 Combined #502

Page Scan

Pentecostal Hymns Nos. 5 and 6 Combined #236

Page Scan

Pentecostal Jewels #158

Page Scan

Pilgrim Hymnal #322

Page Scan

Pilgrim Hymnal #323

Page Scan

Pilgrim Songs (Number Two) #137

Page Scan

Pilot Hymns #252

Page Scan

Pleasures of Heaven #105

Popular Hymns, revised #142

Popular Revival Hymns #d33

Page Scan

Praise #55

Page Scan

Praise and Service Songs for Sunday Schools #142

Page Scan

Praise and Thanks #B2-82

Page Scan

Praise and Worship Hymns #19

Page Scan

Praise and Worship #80

Text

Praise and Worship #80

Page Scan

Praise for the Lord (Expanded Edition) #344

Praise Him #d125

Page Scan

Praise Him #17

Page Scan

Praise Songs #167

Praise y Adoración #365a

Praise Ye #177

Praise, a New Song Book #d66

Praise! Our Songs and Hymns #424

Page Scan

Praise! psalms hymns and songs for Christian worship #857

Page Scan

Precious Hymns #207

Precious Jewels of Sacred Song #d122

Page Scan

Premier Hymns #255

Primitive Baptist Hymnal #5

Promotion Day Programs with Music #d7

Page Scan

Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #1098

TextPage Scan

Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #363

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #648

Psalter Hymnal (Blue) #459

Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #553

TextPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Red) #443

Radio Songs of the Country Church Choir #d45

Reapers, Embracing the Choicest Gospel Songs and Standard Hymns, New & Old #d55

Redemption Melodies #d46

Page Scan

Redemption Songs #489

TextPage Scan

Reformed Press Hymnal #97

Rejoice and Sing #49

Rejoice Hymns #440

TextPage Scan

Rejoice in the Lord #258

TextPage Scan

Rejoice in the Lord #259

TextAudio

Revival Hymns and Choruses #407

Revival Selections #d28

Revival Songs #d60

Page Scan

Rose of Sharon Hymns #743

Page Scan

S. Mary's hymnal #43

Sacred Selections #d76

Page Scan

Sacred Selections for the Church #298

Sacred Songs for Church and Home #d232

Page Scan

Sacred Songs No. 2 #159

Sacred Songs No. 2 (words ed.) #d87

Sacred Songs of the Church #142

Santo, Santo, Santo #604

School Carols #d134

Page Scan

Scripture and Song in Worship #66

Page Scan

Select Hymns and Psalms #288

Page Scan

Select Revival Hymns #51

Page Scan

Select Songs for the Singing Service #268

Page Scan

Select Songs for the Sunday School #268

Selected Hymns in Large Type #d30

TextPage Scan

Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #553

Page Scan

Service Hymnal #462

Page Scan

Service in Song #177

Page Scan

Service Songs for Young People's Societies, Sunday Schools and Church Prayer Meetings #265

Service Songs #226

Page Scan

Services and Songs #63

Pages

Exclude 854 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us
It looks like you are using an ad-blocker. Ad revenue helps keep us running. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or getting Hymnary Pro to eliminate ads entirely and help support Hymnary.org.