12 March 2026 marked the 200th birthday of Robert Lowry, the famous American Baptist minister and hymn-writer. In addition to authoring ‘Christ arose’, ‘Nothing but the blood’, and ‘How can I keep from singing?’, Lowry was a talented orator. His aptitude in articulation served him well as a professor of rhetoric at his alma mater, Bucknell University.
Lowry also served as a pastor in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Jacob Henry Hall, a biographer of hymn-writers, wrote that ‘Dr Lowry was a man of rare administrative ability, a most excellent preacher, a thorough Bible student, and whether in the pulpit or upon the platform, always a brilliant and interesting speaker.’
Lowry considered his preaching ministry to be his most important vocation. He deemed his hymn-writing to be ‘a side issue, a recreation’ compared to his life’s work of preaching. He also said, ‘I would rather preach a gospel sermon to an appreciative, receptive congregation than write a hymn.’
The gift that you think little of may leave a huge impact.
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