Author Archives: Matthew Pullar

Clouds and Crowns No.2

The promise of green pastures, quiet streams Beckons me, Your shepherd’s hand not far; And so I wander, safe wherever You are, Your sun delighting with its kindly beams, The radiance of Your bright fire; it gleams And glistens, heaven’s welcome door ajar, Sunset splitting sky, a perfect scar. And how it is that YouContinue reading “Clouds and Crowns No.2”

Walking With God – William Cowper

For the past eighteen or so months I’ve been working my way through William Cowper and John Newton’s Olney Hymnbook, setting the less well-known hymns to new tunes. The recordings I have made are not particularly high quality – I don’t have any fancy equipment to record them with. But here is my recording ofContinue reading “Walking With God – William Cowper”

Power Perfected in Weakness (After William Cowper’s “Light Shining Out of Darkness”)

Perhaps the most influential poem that William Cowper wrote was this hymn, “Light Shining Out of Darkness”, which contributed the phrase “God moves in a mysterious way” to the English language. The poem has a very simple, consistent rhythm and rhyme to it not found commonly in poetry today, but it also contains some ofContinue reading “Power Perfected in Weakness (After William Cowper’s “Light Shining Out of Darkness”)”

12 Poets #2: William Cowper

Christian literature has few stories as troubling as that of William Cowper, the eighteenth-century poet and close friend of John Newton of “Amazing Grace” fame. A long-term depression sufferer who attempted suicide multiple times and died in despair, his is hardly an uplifting story. Yet it produced some of the most beautiful – and, often, comforting –Continue reading “12 Poets #2: William Cowper”

Liebster Award Nomination

Thanks so much to http://djhardesty.wordpress.com for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award! What an encouragement, and from a great blogger too. So here comes the part I have to do to accept the nomination… 11 random facts about me: 1. I am the youngest of three siblings. 2. I teach English in a secondary school.Continue reading “Liebster Award Nomination”