May Whittle Moody

Composer May Whittle Moody (March 20, 1870 - August 20, 1963) was a second-generation hymnist, the daughter of gospel songwriter Daniel Webster Whittle. Daniel Whittle was a friend of the evangelist Dwight Moody, and May attended the Northfield Seminary for Young Women, one of two schools founded by Moody in Northfield, Massachusetts. She went on to study music at Oberlin College and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Returning to this country, she joined her father and Moody in their evangelistic work as a solo singer and she also began writing tunes for some of her father's texts. In 1894 she married Dwight Moody's son William, and they returned to Northfield, where William headed the schools founded by his father there.

This collaboration between father and daughter was one of their last. Daniel Whittle died the following spring, in 1901, and for the last year of his life he lived with May and her family.

They tell me the story of Jesus is old,

And they ask that we preach something new;

They say the example of Christ's loving care

For the wise of this world will not do.

Refrain

It can never grow old, it can never grow old,

Though a million times over the story is told;

While there is injustice and pain in the world,

The story of Jesus can never grow old.

Yet the story is old, as the sunlight is old,

Though it’s new every morn all the same;

As it floods all the world with its gladness and light,

Kindling faraway stars by its flame.

Refrain

For what can we tell to the weary of heart,

If we preach not salvation from sin?

And how can we comfort the souls that depart,

If we tell not how Christ rose again?

Refrain

So with sorrow we turn from the wise of this world,

To the wanderers far from the fold;

With hearts for the message they’ll join in our song,

That the story can never grow old.

Refrain

Daniel Whittle, 1900; alt.

Tune: ETERNAL STORY (Irregular with refrain)

May Whittle Moody, 1900

The Cyber Hymnal page for this song has a quote from 1 Corinthians 3:19 "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." If you've ever heard a discussion of using modern marketing techniques to bring people to church, this song might speak more directly to you.

In later years May also worked with Charles Alexander on the third edition of the Northfield Hymnal and after his death, produced the fourth revised edition herself in 1927.