During my seminary days, I pastored two small churches near Bardstown, Kentucky. One of those churches had Sunday night services. Since it has always been a challenge for me to produce one sermon a week worth hearing, the thought of two sermons a Sunday seemed overwhelming. So we had a lot of hymn sings for Sunday night service. At a hymn sing the people present call out their favorite tunes and everybody sort of sings along. Mrs. Stora Barlow was a public school teacher in that congregation. Every time I asked for congregational favorites, Mrs. Stora would call 177. Hymn 177 in the old Cokesbury Hymnal is entitled “Others". Its first stanza goes something like this:

Lord, help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayer shall be for other…