A great arrangement with nice chord progressions via Fred Bock

Title: What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Composer: Charles Converse
Arranger: Fred Bock

The most familiar tune for this hymn was written by Charles Converse, but there is a bit of a mystery as to the origin of this hymn. It involves a book of poems by Joseph Scriven, which was missing eight lines of text. The present location of this book is unknown. Scriven spent the last years of his life in the home of James Sackville, near Rice Lake and Port Hope, Ontario. Sackville claims that this hymn was never published by Scriven in any book or paper. He claims that Scriven only sent a copy to his mother and Sackville's mother. The current location of the Sackville manuscript is also unknown. Some suggest it was printed in Dublin, while Converse credits the text to the "Genevan Presbyterian Church (of Brooklyn) Collection". Others believe Converse learned of Scriven's hymn from a salesperson visiting the Burdette Organ Company in Erie, Pennsylvania. The story is that Scriven was so touched by the words that he rushed to find an organ to craft a melody. H. L. Hastings published this hymn for the first time in 1865, and included a fourth stanza. Hastings credited it to Scriven, which made it seem that the additional stanza was not new. Early printings of this hymn were attributed to Horatius Bonar as well. An alternate tune was composed by Frederick G. Carter, and The editors of the Companion to Church Hymnal (2000) called Carter's tune "a fresh, effective, and eminently congregational tune that is well suited to the text," whereas with the tune by Converse, they said, "not much can be done to relieve the dull boredom of this tune, which is all too typical of gospel tunes of the period". This is why I like the Fred Bock arrangement of this hymn so much. He did a wonderful job arranging this tune, and making it a beautiful piece of piano music.

Lyrics:
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.