A belated happy New Year to you and a very happy welcome back from me to five minutes

in church history.

After hitting that 500th episode, we took a break.

I went off to a deserted island and we spun out some of our archival episodes for you

all to listen to.

We also asked you to send in your suggestions and many of you did.

I'm grateful for it and be listening throughout the year as I will be following up on many

of those suggestions.

In fact, today's episode is owing to listener Tom and a suggestion he sent into us.

On January 1, 1773, at St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Olme, the congregation there sang

a hymn for the first time that was composed by their pastor.

The pastor was none other than John Newton.

And the hymn in question is indeed amazing grace.

That hymn that has criss-crossed the globe and found its way into the hearts of Christians

for the last 250 years.

That hymn in its sheet music and recordings actually occupies a rather large space in

the Library of Congress.

It came to be the title of a major motion picture in 2007.

It's sung at funerals for dignitaries and celebrities, and it is sung in rural, clapboard

churches.

It is accompanied by the world's most prestigious organs, by bagpipers and by acoustic guitars.

It is, in fact, the story of John Newton, amazing grace.

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