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It Is Well With My Soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul. — Horatio G. Spafford, 1873
This is but a snippet from one of my most favorite hymns. I wouldn’t call myself a particularly religious person, but I do enjoy gospel hymns and this is the one I turn to when I’ve had a very trying day. This hymn is incredibly calming and has always helped me re-center in the midst of chaos.
Hopefully it helps you too!
.
Published in Group Writing
Thank you, Julie. Very comforting. Nice arrangement in the chosen recording, too.
This is an entry in our Quote of the Day Series. If you have some words of comfort or words of discomfort to share, our sign-up sheet is here. We still have ten slots open in July. Why not volunteer to take one today?
Julie, have you ever heard the story of how Horatio Spafford came to write the lyrics?
I hadn’t heard that story before, but it’s overwhelmingly sad.
J.D.,
Most beautiful.
Good Shabbos.
Jim
Perfect. Thank you.
I sing that one to KK. Along with “be thou my vision” and “oh, the deep deep love of Jesus”
good stuff.
Thank you JD, I had never heard that before. Very nice.
Sustaining, JD…Thank you so much!
This has been a favorite of mine since was in elementary school.
When we sing this in church, as a hymn, I often have to stop singing to regain control of my voice. It’s one of those songs I’m not sure I could ever perform.
Here’s my favorite version, done by one of my all-time favorite quartets, Four Voices:
http://www.godvine.com/barbershop-quartet-sings-it-is-well-with-my-soul-10381.html
Thanks, Julie. Lovely arrangement of one of my favorite hymns.
A few years ago there was a link to this guy’s work (I thought it was on Ricochet, but I can’t find it–what a surprise) and I came across his recording, which I also like:
All of these are wonderful, in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad version of this song.
I can’t get through this one without choking up, no matter how many times I hear it:
The third verse: “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not the part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the LORD, Praise the LORD oh my soul” is one that while singing, I can never get the words out without choking up. But It is well with my soul.
The most effective hymns communicate deep truth through music that engages and focuses our attention on what matters most. Thanks for sharing what speaks to your soul as it heals it.
It makes me cry. It’s like Abide with Me. But y’ know what else makes me cry? Thinking about what kind of Creator would set things up this way…..
Abide with Me is another of my favorite hymns. Can’t think of it without being instantly transported back to Evensong at The Abbey School, when I was about eleven. Evensong. My favorite church service.
Yuh, seems to me you and I had a prolonged discussion about hymnology before, didn’t we?
I know. Me too. But for what, exactly, or for whom, are we crying ?
This isn’t flippant; I really wonder, “as the tears scald and start” in response to certain hymns, certain Bible verses–
are the tears for those who have “departed this life in Thy faith and fear”–
are they for the pathos of Christ’s painful death–
are they tears of self- pity( which is well-merited, no matter how fortunate we are at the apex of life)?
Mom used to sing “Climb Climb Up Sunshine Mountain” to me when I’d sulk about going to bed.
I loved that! With the hand gestures, the hand-over-hand climbing, circling your face for “faces all aglow”, the dismissive shunning gesture for “turn, turn from sin and doubting” , shielding our eyes at “look into the sky!” Good times!
Anybody up for reminiscing about Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam ?
Oh, Good Lord. That was the first hymn that the Christian missionaries would teach the little Nigerian children. I’ve probably heard it ten thousand times.
My mother, who was somewhat irregular in her beliefs, and who made up (sometimes bawdy) words to any song that she didn’t actually know the words to, used to sing “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, What a bloody awful sunbeam I’d be.”
That’s the only story I have about that particular hymn. Will it do?
Remember “Jesus Loves the Little Children”? And “Deep and Wide”?
Yes! And I’ll bet you’ve “got a home in glory land/ that outshines the sun!”, too
Good’ nuff! My fave:
i want a principle within of watchful, holy fear–
A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near ( OW!!)
Zaccheus was a wee little man
A wee little man was he…
I had a very short boss years ago and used to hum that tune at work when he was getting on my nerves.
Now I’ll have that song in my head for the next week.
Yes! “Do Lord, Oh do Lord, oh do remember me!”
We loved that one!
“I Come to the Garden Alone”
That leads into the joke about God’s name being “Andy”:
“AAAndy walks with me, Anndy talks with me….”
Hahaha! That one always made me cry. Until you came along.