Gospel Greats -- 'How Great Thou Art' Quiz

Answer: awesome

The missing word is 'awesome'.

'How Great Thou Art' is one of the greatest hymns of all time. Wikipedia reports it was voted the Number One hymn in the United Kingdom by the British Broadcasting Corporation's 'Song of Praise'. On top of this, Wikipedia reports 'How Great Thou Art' was ranked second (after 'Amazing Grace') on a list of the favorite hymns of all time in a survey by "Today's Christian" magazine in 2001.

Answer: thunder

The missing word is 'thunder'.

'How Great Thou Art' is based on a Swedish traditional melody written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859-1940) in Sweden in 1885. It can be truly said 'How Great Thou Art' has an international appeal as Wikipedia reports the hymn was first translated into German and then into Russian.

"It was translated into English from the Russian by British missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own," Wikipedia states.

Answer: sings

The missing word is 'sings'.

According to Wikipedia, the composition for 'How Great Thou Art' was set to a Russian melody. The words had originally been written in Swedish before being translated into German and then into Russian, as stated in the answer to Question No. 2. 'How Great Thou Art' quickly became popular around the world after it was performed by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during the Billy Graham crusades, according to Wikipedia.

Answer: How great Thou art!

The four missing words are 'How great thou art'! In other words, the second line of the chorus repeats itself. On top of this, Verse 3 and 4 of the chorus are identical to the first two lines.

The English version of 'How Great Thou Art' is substantially different from the original version in Swedish.

"Notably, all English versions (a Johnny Cash live performance excluded) are made in a slow, partly almost reciting way, totally different from the uptempo style of the Swedish original," Wikipedia reports.

Answer: sweetly

The missing word is 'sweetly'.

The English lyrics for 'How Great Thou Art' were written by Stuart K. Hine who was born in Great Britain in 1899.

"In much of Hine's earlier years he and his wife were missionaries in the western Ukraine, where they evangelized as Christian workers and singers," Wikipedia reports. "In 1931, Hine and his wife returned to Britain and conducted gospel campaigns. During those years, Stuart published many song books and wrote many of his beloved gospel songs."

Answer: mountain

The missing word is 'mountain'.

According to Wikipedia, Stuart K. Hine, writer of the English version of 'How Great Thou Art', published song books after he retired as a minister and "contributed the majority of his income to various missionary endeavors around the world."

In 1959, 'How Great Thou Art' became the theme of Billy Graham's 'Hour of Decision' weekly radio broadcast, according to the Website Manamusicinc.com.

Answer: His Son

The two missing words are 'His Son'.

According to Wikipedia, the first time 'How Great Thou Art' was performed at a Billy Graham Crusade was in 1954 in London. The following year, the hymn was performed at a crusade in Toronto, but "it didn't really catch on." Things changed dramatically, however, when 'How Great Thou Art' was performed at a crusade in New York in 1957.

"According to Cliff Barrows (Dr. Graham's longtime associate), they sang it one hundred times during that campaign because the people wouldn't let them stop." Wikipedia states.

Answer: bled and died

The three missing words are 'bled and died'.

Mannamusicinc.com reports the first "major" American recording of 'How Great Thou Art' was by Bill Carle, followed by The Spencer Family, and then by Canada's George Beverly Shea, soloist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The Western singing group, The Sons of the Pioneers, recorded it soon thereafter.

Answer: fill my heart

The three missing words are 'fill my heart'.

'How Great Thou Art' was the title track of Elvis Presley's second gospel LP released in March, 1967. Wikipedia reports the song won Presley a Grammy Award for 'Best Sacred Performance' in 1967, and another Grammy in 1974 for 'Best Inspirational Performance (Non-Classical)' for his live performance album 'Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis' recorded on March 20, 1974, at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee."

Answer: humble

The missing word is 'humble'.

According to Wikipedia, there have been more than 1,700 documented recordings of 'How Great Thou Art'. "It has been used on major television programs, in major motion pictures, and has been named as the favorite Gospel song of at least three United States' presidents," Wikipedia reports.

Mannamusicinc.com quotes Lawrence Welk as saying, "Of all the songs, both religious and secular, 'How Great Thou Art' was the most requested song for our television program."

The same Website quotes Billy Graham's view of the hymn: "The reason I like 'How Great Thou Art' is because it glorifies God. It turns Christian's eyes toward God, rather than upon themselves. I use it as often as possible because it is such a God-honoring song."

Here are the words to classic hymn 'How Great Thou Art':

"O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

[Refrain]

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

[Refrain]

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

[Refrain]

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

[Refrain]"