How good a thing it is

In contrast with the previous Psalm, this 3-verse gem of delight in Godgiven unity has been much loved, studied, preached on and paraphrased. It is a rare triumph of James Moffatt’s version, ‘How rare it is, how lovely, this fellowship of those who meet together!’ With its vivid images of the oil for Aaron and the dew on Hermon, it celebrates what true fellowship always aspires to and often discovers, at least in part. But not even Watts will quite suffice here, with his Lo, what an entertaining sight are brethren who agree! To modern ears Montgomery is more effective with How beautiful the sight of brethren who agree, while Charles Wesley provided a classic NT interpretation, When all are sweetly joined. 2 contemporary versions are included here, the first written by James (Jim) Seddon for Psalm Praise and first published there in 1973. It has since found its way into general hymnals as well as Psalm collections. The words have appeared with various tunes including SANDYS (1833), VENICE (1853; 858) and those by John Barnard and Norman Warren. The Welsh tune GWENGAR is one of the less well-known of Joseph Parry’s many late-Victorian tunes, at least in England. But 3 hymnals of the 1970s used it for hymns by Baker, Bonar, Doddridge and Newton.

b Lancs 1915; d London 1983. Tyndale Hall, Bristol 1936; Univ of Durham (LTh 1939). Ordained in 1939, he was curate of parishes in Everton, Toxteth and Southport, Lancs 1939–45. From 1945 to 1955 he served with the Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Soc (BCMS, now Crosslinks) in Tangier and Demnat Marakesh, Morocco, becoming fluent in Arabic and French; here his first hymns were written for Arabicspeaking congregations. Then he returned to be Home Sec for BCMS to 1967; in preaching widely throughout UK, he felt increasingly the questionable features of the missionary hymns often chosen: ‘romantic and outdated language tending to unreal pictures and understanding of todays missionary task’—JES, 1983. So the first of several new texts were nos.616 and 866 in Praise! With 5 others, they appeared in a typewritten BCMS booklet A Collection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Some are included in Youth Praise (1966); Jim went on to serve on the editorial team for Psalm Praise, Keswick Praise and HTC (1973, 1975, 1982) and was for a time Sec (and senior member) of the fledgling Jubilate Hymns. 3 of his hymns feature in GH and 7 in the 2004 CH, overlapping with 7 in Praise! There are 8 in Keswick Praise and the same number in Baptist Praise and Worship (1991) and Sing Glory (1999). Until retirement he was Rector of Hawkwell, nr Southend, Essex 1967–74, then incumbent of the parishes of Peldon and Gt and Little Wigborough, nr Colchester, Essex. Nos.133A, 528, 568, 574, 616, 627, 866, 1043.