I Feel Good, Good, Good – Anonymous

 

We don’t know who wrote it, but we could guess that it has been sung a lot of different ways just by inserting a couple of new words in place of the original ones to fit the mood of whomever was trying to express him- or herself. Open an old hymnal (or a new one, even) and you might find “I Feel Good” --   maybe with the adjective repeated twice more for emphasis – in the pages of that book. Who was behind the song that is often anonymously attributed to ‘Traditional’ or ‘Gospel’ or maybe ‘Folk song’ will remain a mystery, but could it be that Philip Paul Bliss (see his portrait here) helped spawn a musical movement that gave rise to ‘I Feel Good’ and others like it? Someone was feeling good, and wanted others to share that too, and then he/she shared a few other emotions to help carry the group’s celebration further. Maybe an old apostle deserves some of the credit, when he wrote about focusing on the positive (see Philippians 4:8) as he addressed a new church that he wanted to inspire. This can even be done while sitting in a prison, as he apparently was. God can be with anyone, anywhere, and His presence can bring light into the darkest period of one’s life.  

 

The apostle Paul wrote: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8) Wouldn’t it be interesting if this guy named Philip (P.P. Bliss, as he’s often designated in his songs’ attribution lines) had come up with some of his own pretty positive thoughts to musically echo those first crafted by a guy writing to a community (the Philippians) from which his own name derives? Let’s just pretend that that might be true! Moreover, the 1^st Century Paul and the 19^th Century Philip Paul might thus be linked, not only in their names, but emotionally and spiritually too. All these linkages could not be just an accident, right? OK, enough of this speculation. Here’s what we could say, including that positivity flows from not only saying one feels good, but good, good, good, and hearing some clapping and maybe even foot stomping to accompany all of this revelry. Say the operative word three times, with a jumpy tune that goes well with a broad smile and contentment in one’s heart. You could verify this by experiencing it in person. Change a few words – like from feel good, to can love, or got joy, or can sing, or got peace, or any other ways you want a group to say something uplifting – and you’re doing what the 1^st Century Paul suggested. Philip Paul was perhaps the first to publish a work with the phrase Gospel song that described the contents of a hymnbook (in 1874, Gospel Songs. A Choice Collection of Hymns and Tunes), helping coax worshipping crowds with songs noted for their ease of use. Just sing something simple and crowd-pleasing, so the saved can focus on the delight of their spiritual state. That’s a recipe for easing depression and anxiety, no matter what one’s earthly circumstances are.   

 

Long before the Gospel Music era (also known as the Holiness-Pentecostal period in the 19^th Century) came along, two prisoners (including Paul, and his first partner Silas) modeled for early Christians the feel good, good, good satisfaction, a reaction to their situation that could not but have helped stir others in their presence (see Acts 16:25-34), including the Spirit of God apparently, in Philippi. Earthquakes don’t often happen because of a joyful witness, but who’s to say what might result if more of us dug deep inside ourselves more often to proclaim the hope we have? Paul knew well what joy, despite his whereabouts, could do. Perhaps he was remembering another character in his Jewish history who made the most of his prison stay – Joseph (Genesis 39 and 40). He, and then later Paul and Silas, probably discovered something you and I should remember. Prison is temporary, but joy emerges with so many other potent reasons for celebration on a never-ending spectrum. It’s a journey that doesn’t even end at death’s door. In fact, it’s just really beginning.         

 

Gospel music - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_music

 

See information about the portrait here: Philip Paul Bliss, 1838-1876…This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930.

I've Been Redeemed – Anonymous

 

Who wrote it (maybe members of the Salvation Army?)? Short answer – we don’t know. That would be the end of the story for some people, except that this musical subject for today has so many potent, positive things to communicate. The anonymous poet – or poets – said so many things that are connected to “I’ve Been Redeemed”, that one can hardly ignore what they’ve written, any more than we could belittle what the Salvation Army does. But, would it also be fair to say that the list of items linked to one’s personal redemption has not been fully described in the verses? Who could adequately tell all that a believer gains by being saved from destruction, by being redeemed from eternal captivity?  One might be more credible as a witness if he/she visited us mortals after at least a glance inside heaven’s door, to have seen the face of the Redeemer. And yet, the liberation of our souls has begun already, if we can grasp what biblical writers and the composer or composers of this upbeat little song tell us. See if you get it, once you gather in all the words they give us.

 

Did the poet or poets of ‘I’ve Been Redeemed’ have open a bible while celebrating what comes with this assurance of which they wrote? Try on what one guy named John had to say (1 John 5:13), and it seems that the lyrics really flow from realizing that at least some of the magnitude of redemption’s gift is in its immediacy. It’s already begun! That belief’s confidence comes across best in perhaps one word of the title – ‘Been’. You and I are not waiting; we already have it. And, just listen to all of the buoyant things that come with this, according to the poets’ words. Besides being ‘redeemed’, I have contact even with the ‘Holy Ghost’…amazing! What has happened includes access to the ‘blood of the Lamb, through which my ‘sin (is) washed away’. I’ve been ‘baptized’, and since I’ve ‘been to the river’, I can now know I’m ‘saved’, ‘sanctified’.  ‘Grace’ – that’s a great word, and there’s so many more. Are ‘hallellujah’, ‘He’s coming back’, being able to ‘pray’ and ‘praise’ Him any less significant? While some words or phrases might engender dread for others, when we who are redeemed consider ‘Judgement Day’ and standing before ‘His throne’, our hearts burn with longing. A probably universally happy thought is having someone ‘take me home’, right? There’s not many songs whose words convey no negative concepts, but this is appropriate for this one. It’s as if these writers wanted to think of nothing else except the brilliant light that was shining. ‘Felt so good that I stayed all day’ –these are the words of one alternate verse of the song. They provide in a nutshell what the author/s must have intrinsically gathered from their own experience. If you arrive in this redemption land, you just try to stay there. Nothing else matters compared to this.

 

Could the attitude of the poet/s of ‘I’ve Been Redeemed’ derive from other biblical writers, as well as John? How many were martyrs, from among those Jesus charged with spreading the word about Him? All of them (except John), seemingly. And yet, they staked their lives on this redemption, believing its reward is so unique and magnificent, and believable.  They used all of the words these poets used. So, the question that us who are redeemed can pose to others is thus: what other promise have you got that offers so much, has so much written of it, has centered earth’s history and our calendars to that One person, and requires only your acceptance? These poets believed this redeeming act was accomplished fact, not a giant hoax. We’ll only know their identities someday, but you and I can believe today the words these writers already gave us. I believe words were spoken by other historical characters I’ve never met, so I can believe ‘I’ve Been Redeemed’, too. Can you?    

 

 

 

See this link for all six verses of the song: https://hymnary.org/text/ive_been_redeemed_by_the_blood_of_anon

List of Christian martyrs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_martyrs

Someday – Anonymous

 

It’s just a simple little round song. Picture this: a group of a few dozen teenagers, perhaps standing around a smoky bonfire, out in a field at a campsite. A few adults act as mentors, and this was what they chose to sing – “Someday”. Did the words come out of nowhere? The answer seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it? Perhaps three sub-themes constituted what one or more the adults talked about that night, thus helping to drive what they decided to sing in three verses. When or how the first group decided to sing “Someday” is lost in space, at least until everyone reassembles in the time and place about which they were all thinking when they premiered this little tune. Do you call it heaven, or maybe eternity (see one conception of this place in the picture)? How about paradise, or rapture? What about dreamland, where all of one’s fondest wishes come true, as suggested in a well-known Iowa-based baseball movie? You may not be able to put your finger on this someday with mathematical certainty, but does that mean it’s not going to arrive? It’s a question each person must answer.

 

Was ‘Someday’ in fact at first a campfire song? The answer is ‘could have been’, but does it matter? Lots of songs might have been sung in such a setting, but three ways to coax listeners to walk toward God could be derived from just the 15 words in this jingle. ‘Someday’ could sound rather indefinite, and therefore not too convincing as a way to give a group of people inspiration. Yet, consider a group of early 19^th Century American slaves, whose terrestrial outlook did not allow them much room for glad tidings, at least on this side of eternity. For them, ‘someday’ could have helped gird their inner strength, and tell themselves that there ultimately would be judgement and salvation dispensed by a righteous God. And, though the words of verse 2 might have rung a bit hollow here on earth, they could believe that ‘peace’, ‘joy’, and ‘happiness’ would by necessity make ‘no more sorrow’ a reality in the never-ending day. How many times could they have read about those three words – at least, those who had learned to read a bible, and were permitted to tell others? They could have heard these words repeated hundreds of times, perhaps none more hopeful and encouraging than when He’s called the ‘God of peace’ (Hebrews 13:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Philippians 4:9; Romans 16:20).  How great is it to hear about ‘joy’ like what Jesus promised (such as in John 16:21-22)? Or, how about ‘happiness’ like that which the Master will reward us (Matthew 25:21-23)? With those first two verses in mind, it’s easier to convince hearers with verse three that they ‘gotta be ready when He calls my name’. Could a campfire teacher have emphasized this theme with words by Jesus himself, once again, this time as He was instructing followers about the importance of watchfulness? Four times in one such teaching (Luke 12: 35-48), Jesus uses the word ‘ready’, because no one can predict when He will come.  The wise person who wants what is promised in verse 2 will internalize the need to practice verse 3, and wait expectantly for verse 1’s reality to come true.

 

Put to music what you want your hearers to live out. One could deduce that the first time, and many times thereafter, that ‘Someday’ was sung, this was the objective. What I vocalize can be just pretty sounds. If that’s all they are, perhaps one prophet needs to reappear – Amos (5:23). He said that God called that stuff ‘noise’. Someday…what do you want the one day that will never end to feel like? Do you believe it will sound insincere and empty there? ‘Someday’ wants me to begin practicing like I think that day’s already here. It’ll be full-blown, impossible-to-ignore reality. Gotta get ready.