In Remembrance – Ragan Courtney and Buryl Red

I’m a signpost. I hope that I’m a good one for God, and as I offer this scoop, I’m a double-signpost, one who’s pointing to a fellow signpost named Ragan Courtney, who in turn is engaged in pointing us to the Holy One. He offers this scoop in his own words below, telling us how he came to write the words in the song “In Remembrance”, and also how he felt when he heard the music that Buryl Red composed, bonding with his words and making this poignant melody. Its beauty and its viewpoint suggest to the worshipper that God is speaking to us – and that makes its message impossible to ignore. This song was written for the musical "Celebrate Life!" The Baptist Sunday School Board had asked me and Buryl Red to write yet another musical cantata to reinforce some particular catichemisic ideas for young people. It was not something that I found particularly exciting, so I put it off as I was busy with my life in the theater in New York City. A musical that I had written and acted in on Broadway had just closed and I had to face the fact that I had failed at my life's dream. In a deep scene of failure and depression, I went to an island in the Caribbean to try and recoup some sense of self esteem. I became deeper and deeper depressed, and in despair tried to take my own life. In the attempt, I was powerfully reminded that God loved me even as a failure. I turned from brokenness and found that Christ was there for me. In this renewal I began writing the book and lyrics to "Celebrate Life!" In the euphoric high of a new beginning, I understood the powerful words of the title that the Baptist had given me as a new musical work; but, suddenly, it was full of possibilities and I wrote it very quickly. If I had missed the gospel most of my life, perhaps others had done the same thing. I need to tell them that life in Christ is a celebration. I remember writing "In Remembrance" so quickly that I thought that it could not be a very good lyric. It poured out of my pen effortlessly. A couple of months later after I heard the music that Buryl had set to my words, I was stunned at its beauty. I really had no idea. Now years later it is in many hymnals and I hear from people all around the world who have used this song to aid them in worship. "Open your heart and let your brother in" the lyric says. That is what I did thirty-nine years ago and I am still celebrating! Ragan Courtney Thanks to Ragan! Your authentic story makes God’s movement in the song you and Buryl wrote very special and memorable. It’s great to remember that Jesus gave His life, and saved yours so He could touch you to write this song for all of us. What a great God! The text of Ragan Courtney’s story is from an e:mail he shared with me on 6/21/2010. http://www.sanctuaryaustin.com/about.html

(site of the Sanctuary Church where the Courtneys minister) http://www.worldinprayer.org/class/Blessings.pdf

( the song is part of the musical ‘Celebrate Life’)

Be Still and Know -- Anonymous

I cannot say I’ve ever met someone with a messianic complex, have you? Oh, lots of individuals think pretty highly of themselves, and maybe even some could be classified as true nutburgers that really believer in some warped way that they are a divine gift to the rest of us. But really, what would it be like to hear the following sincere words that go something like this? ‘I’m the Lord God, and you can be certain of this, so you’d better listen to me if you want me to help you’. No sane person would claim the copyright on this statement. Only the true God Himself could author words like that, and back them up with action. Perhaps that’s why this song “Be Still and Know” has no acknowledged composer by name.


Although the song “Be Still and Know” has no earthly individual composer that is known, its inspiration can be traced with some specificity. The words that match the song’s title may be from one of the Psalms – Psalm 46:10. Commentators and editors of the Bible indicate that some professional worshippers, Korahites, may have been the originators of the words written in that Psalm, and therefore the composers of at least some of the words that we sing. Korahites were not just any worshippers, but as the name suggests they were descendents of Korah, the great-grandson of Levi. He was a privileged servant in tabernacle worship, but in his conceit and jealousy for more, he rebelled against Moses (Numbers 16). And so, God had him swallowed up in the earth, along with scores of others, because of his impudence. Do you think generations later, the oral history of Korah’s demise was remembered by his descendents? Check out the other words in Psalm 46, and God spells out the context of ‘being still’ before Him. There’s turmoil on earth, fighting that God terminates (v. 9) so that the creation will be silent and in awe of Him. I have thought of “Be Still and Know” as a tender, soft prompting by God, but thinking of Korah, I wonder if this isn’t instead a warning that his grandkids and great-grandkids want me to heed. The words of a 2nd verse of “Be Still and Know” -- that the Lord strengthens us – may have derived from the ages in which God promises healing (Exodus 15:26). Which one of us doesn’t need this promise, either physically or spiritually? Perhaps this original pledge to Moses’ people for deliverance from Egypt is the same one that prophets (Isaiah 41:10 or Zechariah 10:6) picked up later and echoed for worshippers.

There’s a hope ringing in these words for us who feel beaten. If not now on earth, then later, I hear Him say. Does worship really connect me with Him, one might legitimately ask? If I pay attention to the words, it seems the intended audience of most of the songs I sing are either others around me or God Himself – both very appropriate, as I edify others or offer my praise directly to Him. “Be Still and Know” is most unusual, because the singer is actually God, who’s using my voice to vocalize His message directly into my being. I become His audience. Someone might say ‘all worship songs are from God’ if a composer allows the Spirit to work in their creation. True. I don’t have to be retold that truth in“Be Still and Know” – I just listen.

Information on Psalm 46 and other Bible verses from which part of the song “Be Still and Know” may have sprung was obtained from study notes in the NIV Study Bible, copyright 1985 by the Zondervan Corporation, general editor Kenneth Barker and associate editors Donald Burdick, John Stek, Walter Wessel, and Ronald Youngblood.

How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves

How does one describe something he’s never seen with the naked eye? Or, how would you paint a picture of an invisible person? Chris Tomlin doesn’t try to make it too complicated for us with his song “How Great Is Our God”, his way of answering someone who says ‘what’s God look like?’. What he says about this song’s development suggests that just maybe that’s the way God wants it. Just celebrate Him, and that’s enough. Almost sounds too easy, and that was kinda how Tomlin thought about it too, at first.

Tomlin recalls that the song’s development began with the chorus section ‘how great is our God…’ , and that that’s all he was able to come up with initially. He says he almost felt regret when he said to Him in effect ‘...this is all I have Lord, there’s no other words I can summon in the English language to describe how great you are.’ Evidently, Tomlin then offered some other words to go with the chorus, but he says the refrain became the focus of the song, after he took to heart some comments by friends. As a result, he says the song’s spotlight shone more brightly on the Holy One’s nature, versus what it was originally when Tomlin focused more on what we as Christians get from Him. Light, majesty, a creature that’s both lion and lamb, and a three-in-one concept none of us can honestly fathom…those are mysterious words that Tomlin uses to try to capture God’s visage. Think of a brilliant light hidden in a cloud (see the picture). Still, the song’s simple yet potent declaration of God’s supremacy is the overriding message.

Maybe that’s all the Lord wanted Chris Tomlin to think and sing about, nothing else but God. And, maybe that’s the secret of its success, why it was a number one hit song in 2006 and in 2008. Could that be why we don’t know more about Tomlin’s motivation for this tune – because why he thinks God is great doesn’t really matter? And, why I think He’s great doesn’t add or subtract from Him, either. Sure, I have Jesus to show people God, and His creation says volumes about Him too. And, my story of devotion to Him might resonate with a neighbor, or maybe a coworker. But, ultimately, if I position myself properly next to Him – on my knees, or prostrate before Him – then all the flowery phrases I could use to describe Him leave me. How great is God? He’s in a category all by Himself. He just IS.

Chris Tomlin’s brief comments on the song: http://christian-vids.blogspot.com/2007/06/chris-tomlin-how-great-is-our-god.html
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Tomlin

(Chris Tomlin’s biography)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Great_Is_Our_God_(song)

(song’s history)

Hallelujah Chorus – Charles Jennens and George Fredrich Handel

I think like most observers, or more appropriately listeners (since the subject is music), I have thought that the great composer George Fredrich Handel was the creator of the Hallelujah Chorus. After all, how many of us have attended performances of ‘Handel’s Messiah’ just to hear this celebrated chorus at the end of Part II? Even hymnals credit Handel with the words, as well as the music, to this seminal work. But, that is only partly true, in fact. Charles Jennens (see the picture) was Handel’s collaborator and librettist (the writer of the words in any musical piece like an opera or oratorio like Messiah) on many productions in the 18th Century. The words in the chorus must have inspired both Handel and Jennens, both avowed Christians. What was it that made Jennens draw upon particular verses in the Bible for the words he chose?

It’s said that Jennens wanted to convince some religious adversaries (deists) in England who did not believe in Jesus’ divinity, and so he wove different scriptures together to compose a case for Christ in Messiah. Jennens chose stirring words from the Bible’s final book (Revelation 11:15; 19:6,15) for the libretto, which he then coaxed Handel to envision with music. What a challenge! How does one make music that properly addresses seeing the Lord of the universe, the way the beloved apostle saw Him in heaven? Inspired is probably too tame a word to describe what Handel must have experienced in his musical vision.

Multiple sources relay that Handel needed a boost emotionally when he began to compose Messiah’s music in 1741, and that he and Jennens were in close contact while Messiah was being brought to fruition. Handel may even have stayed at Jennens’ home during the process, a period one might imagine was pretty lengthy. Indeed, Handel apparently told his partner Jennens that he estimated it would take him a year to complete the project. Instead, in an amazing feat of energy, Handel finished Messiah in less than a month. At one point, with his depression transformed into ecstasy, Handel was overcome – “I believe I have seen the face of God!”

I wonder what Jennens’ reaction must have been, knowing the words he chose, mingled with Handel’s composition, had brought the great composer into God’s presence. To see King George II and the entire gathered assembly rise at the chorus’ performance must have been a heady experience too. (The Messiah oratorio, of which “Hallelujah Chorus” is the most well-known part, was actually premiered in Dublin, Ireland, rather than in London, England.) But, given what the beloved apostle wrote, it’s no wonder that spectators felt obliged to stand. We all will, someday. The next time you stand for Hallelujah Chorus, think of it as a warm-up for what’s to come.

 See these sites for the story of Handel’s and Jennens’Messiah: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_(Handel)

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/musiciansartistsandwriters/handel.html?start=2

http://gfhandel.org/messiah.htm

The following site is a brief biography of the Librettist (composer of the song’s words), Charles Jennens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Jennens


See also the book Messiah, The Composition and Afterlife of Handel’s Masterpiece, by Jonathan Keates, Basic Books; Hachette Book Group, New York, 2017.

How Can I Keep From Singing? – Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Ed Cash

Ever seen a movie’s remake, maybe a generation or two after the original? How about a song’s remake -- not one or two generations afterwards, but 140 years later. Chris Tomlin says the song “How Can I Keep From Singing?” that he and two friends wrote in 2006 was discovered and adapted by Matt Redman from a 19th Century hymn by the same name. Maybe they also heard the old hymn sung on the first season of “The Muppet Show” by the dog Rowlf, although the song’s sentiments are akin to humans, not canines! The song’s theme has remained the same since it was first penned -- a commitment to God because He endures through everything.

The song was first associated with Robert Lowry, a well-known American hymnist in the mid-19th Century, although there is some doubt about who actually authored the words that were put to music. The poem was perhaps initially printed in the New York Observer magazine in 1868 and attributed to someone named “Pauline T.”, although hymnals that include the song give Lowry the credit for its words as well as the music. The song or its associated poem may be known by multiple names, including “My Life Flows on in Endless Song” and “Always Rejoicing”. These two recurring expressions are not light-hearted naiveté, but revelations of a fidelity to Him despite life’s hardships. The writer’s not asking ‘where else would I turn?’, for he’s already decided God is the answer.

OK, smart move, but yet the writer-worshipper goes further. He sings. He’s discovered that music is the Creator’s therapy for wounds. That’s a pretty challenging message for me, since I ordinarily don’t feel like singing when I’m down. In fact, my distress more often makes me blubber if I try to sing. So, is there something more I need to learn about God, about drawing on the strength in the music He gives me? It seems I must learn that Music is from Him, that I’m communicating with Him – a steady Rock - in this medium. I may not overcome everything here, but I am in touch with the Almighty as I hear music and when I sing (or at least try) it. We know not what Lowry (who was in his 30’s during the decade of the 1860’s) or Pauline T. was experiencing, but it was human, with ups and downs as the song’s original words suggest. Since it was in the 1860’s, maybe the American Civil War – which did inspire other music – had permeated this writer’s thoughts. A war might be a ‘tumult’ or a ‘storm’ (from the original hymn) worthy of music, and make someone reach for God. Fortunately for us, this song’s message didn’t go outta style with the passage of one century. And, neither does God.

(The short story of the contemporary song’s derivation taken from U-Tube video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6lTZySpbpo

See following site for history of the Robert Lowry hymn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Keep_from_Singing%3F

CyberHymnal site suggests that Robert Lowry wrote the song’s words in 1860: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/c/hcaikeep.htm

Day Is Dying in the West – Mary A. Lathbury

A sunset and a campground inspired Mary Lathbury to write the poetry – or maybe she was actually just reiterating some already-written poetry – for the hymn “Day Is Dying in the West”. Who do you imagine she was quoting as she penned the words in 1877? She was next to Lake Chautauqua in New York state, but the words she wrote could have been true of any place with a beautiful sundown experience. What’s your favorite one? Camp WaMaVa or Manatawny? I’d choose the sundown on a dirt-gravel road near Belmont, Ohio, I think.

Lathbury and other Methodists initiated the Chautauqua meetings as a religious/cultural/entertainment/ summer school in the late 1800s. A large tent (like the one in the picture) might have been one of the easiest ways to identify a Chautauqua meeting place, but for Mary Lathbury that summer in 1877, it wasn’t the tents she thought about when she composed. She came to that time already committed to God’s service as an artist, and was a keen observer of the creation. So, when the camp’s leader asked her to write a hymn text that they could use for the evening’s gathering, Lathbury stole some time looking at the horizon. She must have seen His hands at work as she recorded the words of the song. God is a fellow poet, she seems to say with the words she wrote…or perhaps more aptly stated, God was her poet-guide. After all, it’s His earth, His ‘evening lamps’ and shadows, and His ‘eternal morning’ that capture our attention--all poetry in motion. At least, they are if we see what Mary Lathbury witnessed that evening. Lathbury was 36 years old when she penned the words in 1877, and you might say she was already blessed with a vision. The song’s theme shows she already had a grip on life’s conclusion.

How God speaks about the end can be observed in His creation, she seems to say with each verse’s words, especially verses one and four. He tells us there will be a finish line, each time the sun sets. Does that occur to me as I travel home from work in that time of the season when the sun is low, in my face? My childhood home has a very noticeable sunset horizon, straight as an arrow, with three or four lonely trees stuck against the sky for contrast. I’ll admit that I never thought about God being a poet, that He was trying to tell me something each day around 8:00 PM during the 26 summers I spent there. With Mary Lathbury’s song, I’ll have more to consider, and appreciate about Him wherever I am, and whenever I have the chance to look toward the western horizon.

 Information on the song was obtained from the books “101 Hymn Stories”, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1982; “Amazing Grace – 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions”, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, 1990; and “The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs”, by William J. and Ardythe Petersen, 2006. Also see this site for information about the Chautauqua movement that Lathbury helped start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chautauqua

How Deep the Father’s Love – Stuart Townend

Will Stuart Townend, a 40-something from West Yorkshire (now he lives in Brighton) in Britain, someday be compared to Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley? They’re all English Christians, and all songwriters of some renown. And, Stuart Townend has probably sung some of Watts’ or Wesley’s hymns, since he mentions their history in talking about the song “How Deep the Father’s Love”, his own effort at hymn-writing that he created in 1995. Townend says he had a feeling that he was going to write a hymn one day, and what he’s produced is an essay, his personal reflection on the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice. You can read the story behind the song in Townend’s own words (see the link below).

If you’re a traditionalist, and believe an abundance of verses and a variety of words are what make a hymn a hymn, then you’ll probably examine Townend’s song and say ‘yep, that’s a hymn’. But, this hymn, like those of Watts and Wesley, also contains deep truths from God, has phrases to remind us of His messengers’ words, and is a fusion of lyrics and music that draw out the profound emotion of a believer. Townend says the music’s melody came first, and rather easily as he dwelled on Christ’s cross, about his own debt to Him. Though he says the words took longer, the end product makes one suspect that the Spirit was surely at work in this British modern-day hymnist. Townend’s effort makes me identify with what Peter and Paul must have felt, as well as the emotions of others who witnessed Jesus’ torture. I’m Peter, thrice denying Jesus when I sing this. I’m Paul, whose guilty conscience won’t let me forget the smirk I wore while watching Stephen get stoned. I’m in the crowd shrieking ‘Crucify him!’, and I feel the sting of Peter’s message in Acts 2:37. I am also Jesus, feeling abandoned, desolate, at my flogging (see picture above) and at Golgotha. And yet, magically, I can ‘boast’, Paul says when I take on Christ. These run through my mind as I sing Townend’s song.

How deep is God’s love? Answer: How deep my sin is. God’s love is surreal, even bizarre, by human standards, but only because it’s a function of my need for Him. It’s too easy for me to trivialize my sin, to marginalize its gravity. Next to Him, I’m vile and I’m rotting with a disease. My descendants in Jerusalem were so ridden with and blinded by this disease, they killed the Healer. Sin doesn’t get any lower than it was on ‘Good’ Friday. Unless, I know all this and still ignore Him. How deep is God’s love? He’s already answered…how do you and I respond?

The story behind the song is at this site: http://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/songs/storybehindthesongs/howdeepthefatherslove