This song has a heart-breaking history. Horatio Spafford, a well-to-do Christian man went through the very trials of Job. His wife and daughters traveled by ship to England ahead of Spafford. Their ship was struck by an iron vessel and sank in 12 minutes. Only his wife Anna survived. Spafford took a ship to England to be with her. As the ship passed over the spot where his 4 daughters had been lost, the ship's captain informed Spafford. He went down to his cabin and wrote this song. The rest of Spafford's story is one of heartbreak and triumph. The Spafford's are buried in Jerusalem where they finished their lives doing mission work.
The song is performed by Acapeldridge, a "group" consisting of just one guy singing all 4 parts, which accounts for the amazing blend of voices. A sad but as hopeful a song as you'll ever hear.
The sun is out and there's new grass on the field. There are some familiar songs about baseball out there and some not so familiar. They range from "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" to Peter Paul & Mary's poignant "Right Field". Right Field is sort of my baseball theme song. But this song by CCR's John Fogarty is the one that gets me charged up to see a game.
Now if only Major League Baseball doesn't shoot its fans in the foot like the NFL did with a load of woke, LGBQT double plus ungood nonsense, I might even go to a game.
I love "I Can Only Imagine". It's very powerful. We played it at Micah's memorial service. The song was one of his favorites. This version is incredible. Masafumi "Masa" Fukuda, a Japanese-American songwriter, composer and music arranger is the choir director and founder of One Voice Children's Choir. He gifted and does incredible things with the children he draws together from across American culture. His music includes religious and non-religious numbers, but there is always a kind of spiritual kind of reverence for the well-chosen pieces the choir performs. I sat through this song tonight and had tears running down my face and I'm not ashamed.
This piece is nothing short of awesome (and not the sort of awesome people throw out for something that is merely pretty good).
Of all the acapella groups out there these days, Home Free is probably my very favorite. Here they've gone and done my favorite folk genre proud with this driving medley of sea shanties including the song that rehooked me on them - The Wellerman. Enjoy!
One
of my very favorite Christmas Carols. When Longfellow wrote the lyrics
the Civil War had been raging and Henry had experienced loss as had so
many families at the time. It's a song with sadness and triumph and
faith in God. I love John Gorka's version best.
I particularly like the Tommy Makem/Liam Clancy version of this gospel song, but I think I've already posted that one. In case I haven't, I'll put it down below. Here are the browns with a more American gospel version. This song was a favorite with my Sabbath school primaries, juniors and earliteens. If I can scare up the recording they made for me, I'll post it here too. It's a great campfire or kids song. It's fast and lots of lyric, so you'll have to practice a bit to deliver it.
This version (below) is by the guy that wrote the song - Bill Staines. Bill tells the story behind the song in this clip.
Here's a version by Celtic Thunder. These rowdy boys and girls have a lot of fun into this energetic version.
This is one of those songs people just make their own. Below is a recording that my kids from Tyler Sabbath School sent me so I wouldn't miss them so much after I moved far away - bless 'em! My daughter Meg is on the guitar and leads. It's their own impromptu version. We used to add animal sounds when we sang it for church song service.
I'll have to put it in a video and post to Youtube to put it up here. It'll be a new something I have to learn, but a useful skill.
This song expresses something lodged in my heart and more so as I'm looking toward the end of my life. Friends and family are going to their rest right and left as I get older. Many I look forward to seeing again when Jesus comes. At the same time I worry that the dust and wear and tear of life has left some old wounds in my family that stubbornly refuse to heal. I have a son and brother who have gone on ahead to their rest. Both I'm sure I will see again. Both of them were close and I knew their hearts. We'll all do a little happy dance when we find ourselves together again looking up to see Him coming in the clouds.
Like the song talks about, the difficulties we run into in life can distance us from those we love. With family, you hope these things can "wash out in the water." At the same time you fear that what will wash out is the bond of blood that once held you close together.
Things sadly can happen, hurts deliberate or inadvertent push us apart. We don't talk for years. We stop getting together at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Sometimes that's because of distance. Sometimes it's ruffled feathers or old offenses. It might be politics. It might that someone can't stand your religion.
It's heartbreaking that people who loved each other once can find themselves standing off to avoid stirring up old hurts. Myself, I can't think of anyone I share blood with that I could not throw my arms around and be thrilled to see. I fear that it's not shared. Perhaps I'm such an awful person I can't be forgiven. If so, God forgive me. I've tried to be kind and fair and decent to everyone I come into contact with. I certainly hope that love and forgiveness is "In the Blood".
Someone once said that family is the place you can go for refuge and they can never turn you away. I hope that's true. It's certainly true for Sheila and I. Each day I pray that God leads us all home. I have big plans for family get-togethers in The Earth Made New. I plan to build a schooner and take everybody sailing. Then we'll have a big potluck and a jam session. We'll drag out guitars, banjos, harmonicas, flutes, drums, mandolins and a washtub bass and sing wonderful old songs we remember and new ones we've made up.
Forgive me guys if I've offended. I never meant any harm.
