A new favorite

One of my new favorite hymns is Blessed Be the Tie that Binds. I remember singing it in elementary school and high school and not particularly liking it very much (perhaps because I don't love the traditional melody for it), but it's more meaningful to me now, and I think it will continue to be so as I grow older.

Blessed be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like that to that above.

Before our Father's throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.

We share each other's woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

(This seems like a good follow-up to my post of three weeks ago.)