The First Lord’s Day – William N. McElrath

At one time he was a missionary. He’s still an author today, and he was quite obviously thinking about an Easter theme as he crafted “The First Lord’s Day” sometime in the early 1960s. William McElrath wrote the words and the music as he considered how Christendom, probably including those believers on the opposite side of the globe, should respond to the events of that very special first day. Joy. That’s the word that William thought should fill the hearts of Christians who sing about His resurrection. McElrath hasn’t confined himself to this song, but has written dozens of books to underscore his fascination with the spread of faith that the Holy Son’s miraculous revival has inspired for the last two millennia. It doesn’t matter in what language you say it, because the emotion is the same as the expression on one’s face and the beating of the believer’s heart.

William McElrath must have been in Indonesia for many years to have written books and at least one hymnal in that language, each propagating the message contained in the “The First Lord’s Day.” The earliest copyright on the song shows its publication in 1964, some 32 years after William’s birth in 1932, indicating he was a relatively young man when he composed it. Perhaps he was in Indonesia when he wrote it, or his heart may have been focused there or on mission work in general, for his website (see it referenced below) has details on other works he’s composed about events in Indonesia. There’s also a book about other missionary efforts by Adoniram Judson, so McElrath’s interests are evident – he’s excited about the spread of Christianity worldwide. He’s also reportedly authored a hymnal in Indonesian, and one can imagine “The First Lord’s Day” is likely among that hymnal’s pages. Joy. It must look the same on an American face as it does on an East Asian face to William, prompting his effort to have the seminal message of his faith published in both English and Indonesian. With books and a hymnal, the Easter message that this composer crafted can be passed on from one generation to another. Must be a pretty warm feeling for this guy, huh?

It should be noted that Christ’s Easter message allows all people to recover from mistakes – sins, in the Christian vernacular. William McElrath is no different. Multiple news reports in recent years indicate, including with William’s admission of the unfortunate facts, that he made errors in his own ministry. (This blogger will not steer you toward them…you are free to use your search engines to easily access them.) That doesn’t change what he wrote those many decades ago. The fact of Christ’s renewed life-force is not diminished because a wrong-doer has recited those events for us, created music for us, and coaxed us to celebrate. William and all of us have erred, perhaps grievously, and will continue to do so in one degree or another. But, like a well of cool water in a desert, Easter can renew you and me. Don’t ignore your mistakes. Just know His life makes you a changed person, when you own the truth -- Truth about yourself, and about Him. Amen?  

See this site for information on the composer: http://www.hymnary.org/text/they_rolled_a_stone_before_the_door

Also see the following for details on the composer’s books that he’s authored: http://www.perrythomasbooks.com/