Music

Until today I did not know that Soon and Very Soon had actual verses to it!  How could I not have known that?   I suppose that like many, I simply have never sung them.   A call to action though… to see God’s action in our lives.  To realize that one day soon he will be returning to earth and all our sorrows will be finished with. 

Lyrics to Soon and Very Soon

Author and History

Andraé Crouch is sometimes referred to as the “Father of modern gospel music”.  He recently passed away in 2015.  This American gospel writer was born in California and wrote his first piece of gospel music at age 14.   He helped to bring the gap between black and white music, bringing contemporary music into the church at large. 

He played with various bands throughout his life as well as having a solo career.  Friends with Michael Jackson he and his singers played a role in some of Mr. Jackson’s albums and performances. 

Complications from diabetes and cancer took his life. 

Pondering the Words

Having done Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending, I suppose this fits nicely into the order the hymnal (affiliate link) I am using doesn’t it?   Another glimpse of glory we see in this song by Andraé Crouch.

God will bring us through to glory is written throughout this song don’t you find?   

I found it interesting how many versions of Soon and Very Soon on youtube only featured the chorus being sung multiple times.  And I have to admit, the chorus is lively and compelling. I think the verses add to the overall song though, don’t you? 

It has been a long time since I have sung this song.  Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending.  I didn’t recognize the tune in the hymnal I am using, but I immediately started singing the song.  I could not find the tune I was used to, and once I heard the tune on Youtube I completely lost the tune in my head.  So well you know… enjoy?  🙂 

Lyrics to Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending

Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand, thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of His train:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold Him
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.

Every island, sea, and mountain,
Heav’n and earth, shall flee away;
All who hate Him must, confounded,
Hear the trump proclaim the day:
Come to judgment! Come to judgment!
Come to judgment! Come to judgment!
Come away!

Now redemption, long expected,
See in solemn pomp appear;
All His saints, by man rejected,
Now shall meet Him in the air:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
See the day of God appear!

Answer Thine own bride and Spirit,
Hasten, Lord, the general doom!
The new Heav’n and earth t’inherit,
Take Thy pining exiles home:
All creation, all creation, all creation,
Travails! groans! and bids Thee come!

The dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers;
With what rapture, with what rapture,
With what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own;
O come quickly! O come quickly!
O come quickly!
Everlasting God, come down!

Author and History

This song has a bit of a convoluted history.  Originally written by John Cennnick in 1752, it was later altered by Charles Wesley in 1758, and Martin Madan in 1760.   It makes me curious about what changes they might have made.  So I found an original version on the Cyber Hymnal.  It’s quite different!

Born into the Quaker tradition, John Cennick joined the Methodist movement with the Wesley’s and Whitefield.  When they parted ways, Cennick followed Whitefield and later joined the Moravians.   He became a pastor in the Moravian church.  A successful hymn writer he published two hymnals.   He left a number of hymns unpublished at the time of his death which his Son-in-law saw published. 

So I’m pretty sure that the pastors of the church I was part of growing up changed the tune of this song to a more familiar one. Why?  I don’t know this tune, though when I saw the words I started singing the hymn.   Go figure eh? 

Pondering The Words

Do you know this song?  As you sing it do you ponder Christ’s Return? How do it make you feel?

I read these words and all I see is the joy they hymnist has at Christ’s eventual return.  How he will take this kingdom for his very own, and his reign is one to celebrate. 

And so I’m convicted.  I am… I so rarely think of Christ’s return and think of it so joyfully.  Do I long for Christ to return?  Yes.  I see it as an ending to the suffering in the world and things being made right…but I often don’t go beyond that to the total joy of Christ being able to reign supreme. No longer will I have to look through a glass dimly.  I’ll be able to see him face to face in a world again made right.  This is something to celebrate don’t you think?

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is a song that I have known for such a long time.  I have recollections of it being on the records my mom used to play. I think… Johnny Cash did a version of it?   At least that’s what my vague memories tell me.  ANYWAYS, it often pops into my mind and I’ll find myself singing.  I do not know all the verses by heart. 

Lyrics to Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Refrain

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan, and what did I see?
Coming for to carry me home,
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.

Refrain

If you get there before I do,
Coming for to carry me home,
Tell all my friends I’m coming, too.
Coming for to carry me home.

Refrain

I’m sometimes up and sometimes down,
Coming for to carry me home,
But still my soul feels heavenly bound,
Coming for to carry me home.

Refrain

The brightest day that I can say,
Coming for to carry me home,
When Jesus washed my sins away,
Coming for to carry me home.

Refrain

I’m sometimes up and sometimes down,
Coming for to carry me home.
But still my soul feels heavenly bound,
Coming for to carry me home. 

Author and History

We don’t know for sure who wrote Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.  It might have been Wallace Willis, a Negro slave born in Mississippi and owned by Britt Willis, a Choctaw.   It is thought he was inspired by the Red River which reminded him of the River Jordan and the prophet Elijah. Alexander Reid, a minister at a Choctaw school Willis was at, heard him singing and transcribed the music sending it The Jubilee Singers.  Learn more at Songwriters.

Or if it was created by Sarah Hannah Sheppard a slave.  Apparently, she learned her master was going to sell her daughter and in her fear, she ran away intent on suicide for herself and her daughter.  You can read the rest of this story at the Library of Congress.   The daughter Ella was part of The Jubilee Singers.

Either way, it’s an old African Spiritual regardless of who wrote it. 

Thinking More

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is a song that has a rhythm to it.  It’s no wonder to me that when I’m doing a repetitive task that this tune will pop into my brain.  

I like this line “I”m sometimes up and sometimes down, But still my soul feels heavenly bound”.  It’s that just so true?  We don’t always feel like we’re doing well in our faith journey but still… our goal is the same.  Heaven is our ultimate stopping place.  

My brain feels full of thoughts tonight as I write this post.  Thoughts about the rough week I had recovering from a migraine.  I also think back on talks where I speak to my boys heart of how my mind thinks and the comfort that God provides.  I repeatedly need to tell my lad that he and I think differently and sometimes that makes communication hard.  He likes a lot of precision in language…but mostly on his terms!   To be a teen again eh?   Why do I talk about this?  Well…because God constantly has his eye on me.  Just as if I were a little sparrow God watches over me.    That care changes how I live my life.  I was trying to share that thought with my lad tonight.  I don’t think I did a very good job, but hopefully the thought sticks with him a bit….   With all that, let’s learn a bit more about “His Eye is on the Sparrow” … and I know he watches me…..

Lyrics to His Eye is On the Sparrow

1. Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
   Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
   When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
   • Refrain:
     I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
     For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
2. “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
   And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
   Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
3. Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
   When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
   I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Author and History

Civilla D. Martin is the lyricist who wrote this song.  She had Charles H. Gabriel compose this happy tune.  Married twice, her first marriage was to Rev. John F. Geddes a Congregational minister  She later married Baptist pastor Walter Stillman Martin.  Together they one son, A.G. Martin. She authored many of the songs he used in this ministry only using the initials C.D. due to her husband’s composing and evangelistic work.  Her husband composed many of the tunes to the poems she wrote.  Together they were part of the restoration movement. A lot of her music was released in the early 1900’s and over the course of her life wrote several hundred hymns and other religious songs. 

His Eye is On the Sparrow was inspired by a conversation Ms. Martin had while talking with a bedridden believer in the city of Elmira, New York.   She happened to ask this saint if she did not at times get discouraged.  The response she received was that God cares about the sparrow so why should she get discouraged?  This spawned a poem that Civilla later wrote and is the lovely song we sing today. 

She also wrote Be Not Dismayed what ‘ere betide. 

Other Songs by Charles Gabriel

• Send the light.
• I Stand Amazed in the Presence. 

Thinking Deeper

Matthew 10:30-32

³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ³² So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,

Luke 12:4-7

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. ⁵ But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Consider your worth.

Are you more important to God than a sparrow?  Consider how closely God watches these busy little birds.  Constantly flitting about searching for food and nesting materials.  They are like the mice of the bird word it seems.   YET get this… God himself minds them full well.  He knows when a single one falls to the ground… and he forgets them not.   We are of SO MUCH MORE VALUE than they are.   Do you not think God will watch over you just as closely as he does these wee bitty birds?   

Of course, he will!  Take comfort in that eh?  

When I wanted to write this post, I couldn’t find my hymnal!   I looked and looked and looked for it, but it wasn’t anywhere that I remembered.  So I went to look for a different hymnal where I found this song Day by Day.   By the time I sat down again, my lovely hubby

Lyrics to Day by Day

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.

Author and History

Okay, it’s a bit odd.  The hymnals that I looked through had the same translator for Day By Day as Andrew L Skoog.  BUT one listed the original author as Caroline Sandell Berg and another listed Lina Sandell as the author.  The names were quite similar so I wondered if they were indeed the same person.   Turns out that Lina is the nickname of this prolific Swedish hymn writer. 

The story of Lina Sandell is rather remarkable.  She was a frail youngster and spent most of her time sitting in her beloved father’s den as he worked.  Her dad was a Lutheran pastor.  As a young child, she suffered partial paralysis and the doctors did not believe she would ever recover.  Her parents, the devout believers that they were, believed that one day God would heal her.  One Sunday, as a 12-year-old, she was at home while her parents went to church.  While they were away she prayed earnestly and kept reading the bible.  When her parents returned from church, they found her walking around.  They were quite amazed.  Lina devoted her life to writing verses expressing her love for God and gratitude to him.   

Lina released her first book of spiritual poetry when she was just 16 years old.   10 years later she accompanied her father on a boat trip where he fell overboard and drowned.  She dearly loved her father and her grief inspired her to write even more verses and songs. She wrote more than 600 hymns over the course of her life with Oscar Ahnfelt writing the tunes for most of them.   Married to Oscar Berg their only child died at birth. 

Pondering Further

In Swedish the name of this song is “Blott en Dag”.   In English this mean Just Another Day.   That has a different connotation than Day By Day does so I wonder how close the translation is to the original words.  But I need to trust the translator I guess!  🙂 

Don’t you find comfort in these words? 

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

God’s care and concern for us. His kindness for us.  Sometimes we forget that we have permission to run to God through all of life’s joys and trials.   This song so much speaks to how God governs us with so much care and concern. 

How does he show you care and comfort?   Can you see him in action in your life?  It’s a relief to me to know that I can trust God to act and care for me.  A true comfort knowing that day by Day God watches over me with a tender care that I don’t even always understand.