Peter and Pastor Ninabeth would like to share some fun facts about the hymns we will be singing on Sunday.
You can listen to Peter sing and play the hymns below!
“*Wade in the Water*,” African American Spiritual; The Faith We Sing, No. 2107
*Wade in the water, wade in the water, children,*
*wade in the water, God’s a gonna trouble the water.*
The refrain of “Wade in the Water” is based upon the narrative of John 5:2-9. It is the story of the pool by the Sheep Gate—*Bethzatha* in Hebrew. The stanzas refer to other biblical passages where water plays a significant role. The first two stanzas reference the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-31). This is a classic passage of deliverance. The third stanza mentions, “The Holy Ghost a-coming on me.” While the biblical basis is less clear in this case, it is conceivable that the reference is to Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (KJV). This passage might signify empowerment and freedom. The final stanza refers to another body of water, the Jordan River: The Jordan River is mentioned numerous times in the Old Testament. Choosing one passage can neither fully underscore the significance of the Jordan in the biblical narrative nor its importance as a landmark of deliverance and hope in the African American experience.
Howard Thurman (1899-1981), who served as Dean of the Chapel at Howard University, offered this interpretation of the text:
*“For [the slaves] the ‘troubled waters’ meant the ups and downs, the vicissitudes of life. Within the context of the ‘troubled’ waters of life there are healing waters, because God is in the midst of the turmoil.”*
Though African American spirituals were born in the pain, oppression, and struggle of a particular people, they have become songs for all people. Thurman’s conclusion is a message for all of us:
*“Do not shrink from moving confidently out into the choppy seas. Wade in the water, because God is troubling the water.”*
*“Cry of My Heart”, *The Faith We Sing, No. 2165, was written in 1991 by Terry Butler.
*It is the cry of my heart to follow YouIt is the cry of my heart to be close to YouIt is the cry of my heart to follow*
*All of the days of my life*
Terry shares that one night after the family went to bed he is sitting on the floor in his living room reading Psalm 25. When suddenly as he was reading Psalm 25:4 which says “*Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths”, *the song came to him. He stopped and grabbed a piece of paper and began writing. At first he rejected it saying “It is not going to sound like that, Lord.” The original version was reggae. He finally said, “You’re teaching me your holy ways, you’re teaching me that you’re in charge here.” This song is in the top 100 favorite contemporary hymns.
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