God Be With You -- Jeremiah E. Rankin

He was a learned minister, and he’d preached a lot of sermons, undoubtedly after studying for a time on each occasion before sharing his messages with believers. How do you think Jeremiah Rankin typically wished his hearers well, at the conclusion of a sermon in 1880? It would have been very common for him to do as his ancestor, the Apostle Paul (see a painting of him here), did many times as he departed from the presence of various peoples. “God Be with You” would have been one way to vocalize his thoughts and emotions, but there’s a more ordinary way to express these words, a phrase that Jeremiah and others in the 19^th Century would have said instead. But, without knowing the phrase’s origin, we can too glibly mutter these to our friends and family. Words do have meaning.

Jeremiah Rankin had said ‘good-bye’ by the time he was 52 innumerable times. Count the number of locations in which he had lived, multiplied by the number of people to whom he’d ministered or spoken, times the number of years he’d lived, and you might arrive at a number approximating the number of times he’d said ‘good-bye’. Born in New Hampshire, educated in Vermont and Massachusetts, Rankin was serving a church and Howard University in Washington, D.C. as he entered his early 50s. It’s said that he composed the eight verse-poem “God Be with You” as a result of discovering the true meaning of the parting words most people utter without thinking. Had he been studying one of the great apostle’s books, in which Paul likewise wished for God’s presence to be with new converts upon his departure (Philippians. 4:9; 2 Corinthians. 13:11, 14; Romans. 15:33; 16:20)? Rankin apparently composed the words for no particular occasion or people, but just wanted to underscore the meaning of the words, and to enhance the singing service at the church. Perhaps they needed a new song, and since Jeremiah had shown the ability to craft other hymn texts (he wrote at least a few dozen in his lifetime), it was not a surprise that “God Be with You” was the result. Would he have also spoken about the etymology of the phrase and emphasized for his hearers their true meaning, perhaps in a full-length sermon? His eight verses contained probably more than enough material for such an exposition. Protection was one repeated theme Jeremiah depicted in his poem. But, others emerge as well, like direction (v.1), sustenance (v.2), purpose (v.3), reminders (v.5), healing presence (v.6), saving power (v.7), and heavenly transport (v.8). He might have been a poet, but he was also a preacher!

What do I wish for someone as I depart from them? Does Jeremiah’s list cross my thoughts? Sometimes, I admit, I just want to be away from someone as I leave, so perhaps I should reconsider saying ‘good-bye’, or even just ‘bye’. After all, if I don’t really wish for God’s presence and influence to remain with him or her, I shouldn’t mouth such nice-sounding words. It’s an awesome thing to have Him near – no, inside – me. To wish that for someone else is a breathtaking thing. It doesn’t mean He leaves me, but yet He can join this acquaintance, friend, or loved one. So, what need does this person have that God can fill? Maybe it’s multiple needs that are in play. Jeremiah thought so, too.     

See more information on the song story in these sources: The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006; Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1990; 101 More Hymn Stories, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1985; Then Sings My Soul – 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories, Robert J. Morgan, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003; and A Treasury of Hymn Stories – Brief Biographies of 120 Hymnwriters with Their Best Hymns, by Amos R. Wells, Baker Book House, 1945.

Also see this link, showing all eight original verses:

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/g/b/e/gbewiyou.htm  

Faith of Our Fathers -- Frederick W. Faber

He was a fence-rider, in a sense. Perhaps someone might have said this about Frederick W. Faber, even after he left the Anglican Church, England’s state church, for Roman Catholicism in the 1840s. Not only his remembrance of church history, but an active effort to remind other believers of our predecessors, as in “Faith of Our Fathers”, reflected Faber’s endeavor to reach back to his Calvinist roots and simultaneously serve his new Catholic brethren. Where would Christendom be without the sacrifices of people from centuries long ago? (Especially, Faber was thinking of those who’d been punished under Henry VIII, shown here.) Even in what historians now characterize as ‘the dark ages’, somehow faith survived. Deep in his inner being, Faber wanted to honor that past through ‘high’ worship, to evoke a congregational spirit he must have felt was missing in his newly adopted church. He didn’t wallow in frustration, but took action, perhaps with the same courage he thought his ancestors had possessed.

Frederick Faber looked backward as a 35-year old to grasp some things from not only his own past, but from hundreds of years before. At first he was an Anglican minister, like his father before him, following his graduation from Oxford University as a 29-year old. But, he’d become acquainted with a movement, probably while at Oxford among his brethren, that emphasized the practices and their meaning in congregational worship. These spoke to his heart with such force that he drew closer to a body of believers whose worship underscored this approach. Catholic history, particularly in1500s England, reminded Faber of how much he owed much to God and these forefathers. But, while Catholic worship appealed to his sense of awe in a liturgical way, he missed the singing and the sense of fellowship this engendered in his Anglican roots. So, why not return to the Anglican Church? One can imagine there must have been some tension in his life, especially with his own father, after his open embrace of Catholicism, an organization he himself had once criticized. Yet, he reasoned that devotion to his own upbringing was outweighed by what had happened many generations earlier. And, he yearned to fill the singing gap he observed with new songs, even if he felt inadequate to the task. He crafted some 150 new hymns by the time of his premature death at age 49, so one could say his will had conquered the insufficiency that competed with his insides. “Faith of Our Fathers” was among the first batch of hymns he produced, a reflection of his preoccupation with those who’d been executed under King Henry VIII’s reign. He called out to their and his God, thanking his ancestors for the ‘fires’, ‘swords’, ‘dungeons’, and ‘chains’ they had endured. One can imagine Faber saying to himself, ‘God must have meant so much to them!’    

There’s a group today that Frederick would no doubt appreciate.  The Voice of the Martyrs (https://vom.com.au/history/) reminds Christians today that there are still believers who are punished because they choose God, despite the consequences. We Christian believers can have honest disagreements with other folks, because of the way they express their beliefs, and even when they worship a God or gods we don’t recognize. But, we no longer accept that force is a method we use to convince belief in the Divine. And, we acknowledge that we may in fact suffer at the hands of others who use the methods we’ve discarded. Instead, we lift others of like faith to Him, and trust that the examples of faith survive and overcome, for eternity’s sake. Sounds like something that Frederick Faber might have said, doesn’t it?

See more information on the song story in these sources: The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006; Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1990; and 101 Hymn Stories, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1985.

See also a brief biography of the author here: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/f/a/b/faber_fw.htm

Also see this link, showing all four original verses: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/f/a/i/faithoof.htm

Farther Along -- W.B. Stevens or W.A. Fletcher or ??

It’s a mystery, though there are at least two theories about its authorship. One says a composer crafted at least the original first verse, and his own experience may have inspired additional verses by his contemporaries. This Missourian, W.B. Stevens, knew something about emotional hardship, for it seems he wished to know in the future – in a “Farther Along” that he composed in the early 20^th Century -- the answers to his troubles. Another theory is that another composer, W.A. Fletcher, had also experienced some loss and composed the verses to “Farther Along” in 1911. Both were ministers, and both had evidently experienced a common malady as mortals – mortality.  

Whoever composed the words to “Farther Along” must have felt that life was unfair, perhaps even in its potentially most lethal way. The most prevalent hypothesis is that a minister in Queen City, Missouri (in Schuyler County – see its courthouse here in 1878, a site he may have seen frequently) – W.B. Stevens wrote at least the first verse upon the occasion of his young son’s death. Stevens had counseled others in similar circumstances, yet this time he found it impossible to accept his own oft-given advice. Other evidence suggests perhaps the editor of the first songbook in which “Farther Along” appeared in 1911 – Barney Warren – had written some of the verses. Yet a third theory is that another minister – W.A. Fletcher – had penned the words during a train trip to minister to Indian country while his absent wife was preparing to give birth to their first-born. He, too, must have felt or had encountered someone else whose situation seemed unjust. What’s the answer when you’re feeling His way for you has become strewn with potholes? Whether it was Stevens, or Warren, or Fletcher, what’s the remedy the poet prescribes for the sense that one’s state of affairs has become untenable? In Stevens’ case, the most difficult for any believer – death of an innocent child—how could one manage such an incident?  Fletcher missed his wife and the unique event he longed to witness – his child’s birth; how could God insist he be elsewhere, even if it was to do a great work? Their words, or at least the feelings they shared, tell us 100 years later how they handled the disappointment. It’s called the future. And, it’s described in more than one way, perhaps because different expressions of the same concept reach different people in their own way. In just a few verses, the author or authors assign various names to the future, in addition to the song’s title ‘farther along’. ‘Sunshine’, ‘beautiful gate’, ‘glory’, ‘home in the sky’, ‘bright mansion’, and ‘by and by’ all portray a time and place where life’s inequities are overridden, nullified. Those who are there won’t feel as we who remain here. That’s the challenge, isn’t it?

I need patience, I’ve discovered, and “Farther Along” underscores that reality. But, you and I are not alone in this, our composer-friend/s tell us. Maybe ministers just see this truth biting people more intimately and frequently than the rest of us do. Their prescription is one they’ve recommended many times, probably because there is no alternative. If the present is too unfair, overlook it. Don’t try to decipher my world’s inconsistencies. Instead, gaze at the finish line; in fact, stare at it, dwell in it. The afterlife is the only way to make mortal life livable.      

See more information on the song discussed above in The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006. 

The composer is written about in this website’s thread: http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.missouri.counties.schuyler/901.4/mb.ashx

The composer is also the subject of another blogger’s post here: https://hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/quotfarther-alongquot/

This site suggests another composer was the originator of the song: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farther_Along_(song)

Sing On Ye Joyful Pilgrims – Fanny Crosby

She was so well known and abundantly productive that she decided to become a more shadowy presence in one of her best works. What? It’s reported that Frances Jane Crosby did in fact use a fictitious name when she set about publishing “Sing On Ye Joyful Pilgrims” in the late 19^th Century; she passed herself off as Carrie M. Wilson, most likely because she thought her song would have a wider audience if her real name was left out of it. Perhaps she thought the song’s three verses and refrain possessed something too valuable to risk being ignored because of her own notoriety. Did she try out her tune on her friends and acquaintances first (including some at the Cremorne Mission in Manhattan [shown here], one of the missions that she supported at the time), discovering its message of hope and ecstasy had a rare quality? Perhaps it summed up her own life to that point with a focus she wanted to underscore and use to propel herself forward.

 Fanny Crosby is such a notable hymnist, it is hard to exaggerate her musical impact and her broader life’s influence on Christian faith expression. What brought Fanny to the point where she resided in 1886, and what carried her forward, is not a mystery. A 66-year-old who’d already written thousands of words in tunes and poems, both secularly and in Christian circles, could have been content to stand in place. Yet, that was not in Crosby’s character. She was, in her mid-60s, in the midst of a re-dedication of herself to helping the poor in one of America’s worst slums – New York’s Manhattan. And she didn’t just visit the area and then leave it daily for more comfortable surroundings. She lived there, among those who needed and probably were inspired by her example. So, it’s not difficult to imagine, though the precise circumstances of “Sing On…” are not recorded, that Fanny was communicating something she thought would resonate with her neighbors and fellow believers. We’re all ‘pilgrims’, you can hear her saying in her three verses, and not just struggling, muddling-through pilgrims, but ‘joyful ‘ ones because we can see that light at the opposite end of where we are. Imagine being in a gray, dirty urban area, inhabited by long faces, disease, and day-to-day scuffles just to stay alive. Poverty is a given, and handouts in the various street missions in this pitiable New York borough are absolutely necessary for many. Fanny not only probably helped provide some of the food these people needed, she also gave those who shared her faith a sturdy place to make their stand. It must have made a difference to those in the slum who knew her, and from what perspective she wrote.

She may have been blind, but Fanny Crosby saw just what her neighbors needed. Our neighborhoods are ugly, in multiple ways, and that hasn’t changed in the 100+ years since Fanny wrote her words. She did her part to help those imprisoned there, but not so much by cleaning up things. No, Fanny said look through this garbage-strewn street, as if through a mental telescope, and gaze in wonderment at the sight over there. Let its beauty and certainty for you gird your being. This 66-year old had her own shortcomings, physically, so for her to say ‘It’s gonna be incredible where I’m heading’ was a testimony that spoke to others in the same boat. Which way are you looking?    

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/i/n/g/singon.htm

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

Humble Yourself – Bob Hudson

Someone says ‘He was a kid!’ At least, initially, this would be the first-blush reaction when information surfaces that the words and music to a song are attributed to a boy who was no older than twelve. Was it his only song? Did Bob Hudson write other tunes, other than “Humble Thyself (also known as Humble Yourself) that appeared in print by 1978? What could one surmise from what Bob wrote, and especially so if no other information were known about him? Bob Hudson may be virtually anonymous, but if he’s reached the age of 50 years (as of 2016), surely someone somewhere has discovered, or at least asked him, what transpired in the life of a boy that made “Humble Thyself” the result. Did he maybe look at Saint Humility (pictured here, painted by Lorenzetti in 1341) to gain inspiration for what he wrote?

Bob Hudson may be the same person born in 1966 to whom the song is credited in the one source this blogger found regarding this simple song about humility and a Christian’s core beliefs. Where he was and what he was doing are mysteries, but at least he didn’t leave his fellow believers wondering what he was thinking. We have his words. They have a simplicity that’s elemental to the song’s message. Humbling oneself presupposes that you do not become complex in telling others how you’re doing this – and Bob sticks to his song’s titular directive. Whether he composed the additional verses (two, three, and four) that sum up what a Christian believer does to express himself is also unknown, but if he did, they too say some things powerfully, and yet plainly, about what he thought at the time. It was in perhaps the mid-1970s or a little thereafter, and Bob evidently had a great respect for God, which told him he should hold Him in awe and act humbly as a believer in order to experience His blessing (v 1). He wasn’t a weak, scared, puppy-like creature, but someone whom we could speculate learned his attitude and behavior from adult role models – parents, teachers, or church leaders, perhaps. They would have been the ones to instill in him principles regarding Jesus’ identity, including the life-and-death meaning He holds for the Christian (v.2). Everyone needs what He offers, so amply expressed in Newton’s hymn (Amazing Grace), and paraphrased by Bob (v.3). And, even as a boy, Bob looked forward to eternity (v.4) That’s really all one needs, what Bob had learned by age 12, and what he said in four short verses.      

It would be interesting to meet and know Bob Hudson. And yet, there’s still more that is intriguing about this anonymous fellow that we can deduce from his song, before we meet him. His reverence for God is also suggested in the key signature of “Humble Yourself”. It’s an E-minor chord that Hudson leans upon for his musical foundation. Interesting, huh? That’s not a routine journey for the musician, particularly a juvenile, but maybe it shows he was serious about being truly genuine with his expression – to fear God in his innermost self. What better way musically to accomplish this. Bob was being taught well, and he knew something about honoring his Creator that wasn’t so immature. Jesus said, ‘Let the children come…’ (Luke 18:15-17). Bob may have heard this too.

  

The following site indicates the author-composer was born in 1966, and the song copyrighted in 1978: http://www.hymnary.org/person/Hudson_B