No other prophet ever spoke

Martin Leckebusch’s hymn is a further exploration of themes set out in Hebrews 1:1–2:4; cf the different levels of 311, 312, 332, and 546. This was written in Feb 1995, and one of several texts submitted for both this book and Sing Glory, where (apart from his own collection) it first appeared after several changes had been agreed by the author and both committees—see also 270, 278 and 285. In More than Words its subjects are given as the titles of Christ, the word of God, and God’s rule over human life. The author writes, ‘I had in mind to produce a series of texts based on Hebrews, one of my favourite books of Scripture. This is the first; the second is unpublished; the others are unwritten!’ In 1999 this also reached Spring Harvest.

The tune SWISS MELODY (which appears in SG arranged by David Iliff in the key of D) is indexed elsewhere as THE STAFF OF FAITH. This name arises from its setting to T T Lynch’s My faith, it is an oaken staff (from 1855) in The Fellowship Hymn Book, 1909 edn, followed by Baptist and Congregational hymnals. It has some of the hallmarks of Swiss tunes, but in The Sunday School Hymnary (1905) it is said to be German.

b Leicester 1962. King Edward VII Coll, Coalville, Leics; Oriel Coll Oxford; BA/MA (Maths) 1983; Brunel Univ Middx, MSc (Numerical Analysis) 1984. He worked for 16 yrs as a Computer Systems Programmer, followed by 5 as Support Specialist. In 2006 he was redirected to the role of Technical Design Authority for the IBM mainframe platform within Lloyds TSB. He has belonged to various CofE and Free Churches, including 6 yrs as a Methodist Local Preacher (1992–1998); currently a member of Kendal Rd Baptist Ch, Longlevens, Gloucester since 2001. His hymn-writing began in 1987; 144 hymn texts were collected in More than Words, 2000, some of which had appeared in earlier books including NewStart (1999, 6 hymns in a total of 71), Sing Glory (14 hymns), and Praise! A collection of 150 texts based on the Psalms, for singing to well-known tunes, appeared in 2006, giving a total of 275 texts by then in print. 6 of these are in Carol Praise (2006). In that year he also joined the Text Advisory Group (TAG) of Jubilate Hymns which he later chaired, and he also consults regularly with representatives of the more informal songwriters; he is active in the Hymn Soc, and lives with his family in Gloucester. In the 2005 edn of A Panorama of Christian Hymnody, which features 2 of his texts, Paul A Richardson notes their ‘conservative theology, biblical imagery and structural ingenuity’, adding that ML ‘advocates a restoration of hymnody in traditional forms to those who, like him, are in the charismatic wing of the church’. He is also keen to explore some issues often neglected by contemporary writers. By 2010, which saw the publication of a further collection Never Let the Songs End, the total number of his hymns had exceeded 400. Nos.270, 278, 285, 322, 381, 586, 604, 665, 756, 770, 771, 841, 856, 882, 892, 926, 936, 942, 1023, 1029, 1111, 1112, 1113, 1114, 1123, 1124, 1125, 1139, 1140, 1141, 1142, 1167, 1168, 1170, 1171, 1173, 1176, 1177, 1182, 1194, 1196, 1197, 1202, 1206, 1207, 1208, 1217, 1240, 1243.