No One Is Too Lost to Be Found
Posted on Sep 10, 2025 by Heather Lewis
This Sunday, as we celebrate the shepherd finding one lost sheep out of his flock of 100, we will sing a favorite hymn about being found, “Amazing Grace.” I think it’s fun to learn about the background of hymns and songs; here is the story of how “Amazing Grace” came to be:
John Newton was an Anglican minister in Olney, England, in the 1700s who chose simple, heartfelt hymns instead of the more traditional psalms in his services. When enough hymns couldn’t be found, he began writing his own. He and his friend William Cowper created a hymnal titled Olney Hymns, in which they shared “Amazing Grace.”
The lyrics to “Amazing Grace” were inspired by John’s life before he became a minister. His early life was difficult: his mother died when he was 6 years old, he left school at age 11, then in his 20s he tried to desert his crew in the Royal Navy and was forced to be a servant on slave ships. At one point his ship was almost lost at sea, and he vowed to change his life. He didn’t; in fact, he became the captain of a slave ship for several years, and after being violently ill on a voyage, finally left the sea and the slave trade.
Later in his life he fought alongside William Wilberforce to abolish the African slave trade, writing about its horrors from his own experience. Shortly before his death at age 82, he is quoted as proclaiming, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!”
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see.
May you feel God’s amazing grace and mercy in your life, and share it with others.
In Christ’s love,
Heather Lewis
Director of Worship and Music
Director of Youth Ministries