I Surrender All

Good Sunday Morning

Good Sunday morning…

Christianity is blessed with songs and music that praise God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. Thousands of songs have been written about our Christian faith. No other religion can claim anything close to the catalog of the music of Christianity. While the preaching of God's word is certainly the foundation of Christian worship, the singing of hymns, choruses and songs of praise and worship are just as fundamental in today's churches and religious assemblies. In a service, the music can help establish an attitude of worship. Congregational singing brings the participants together to make a communal joyful noise that honors the deity. It gives us a feeling of togetherness with other Christians. In the "old days," before air conditioning the church windows were open and the Sunday morning hymns became evangelistic outreach to the neighborhood.

Early in my adult life, when I was not in church, I rented a basement apartment in Charleston, West Virginia. It was located next door to a large church. I was serenaded on Sunday mornings by the congregational hymns. It didn't offend me and it seemed to offer a peaceful respite to begin my day off. My landlord, who also was my boss, was a Christian man and I respected him greatly. He had other apartments to rent, but he probably knew I needed those Sunday morning songs, which I certainly did, as I look back on those days.

We are commanded in the scriptures to sing:

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;

but be filled with the Spirit.

Speaking to yourselves in psalms

and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody

in your heart to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:18-19 KJV

Christian music, for many people, is a great source of inner peace. I have found that the old hymns and southern gospel songs help me when I am alone, driving or otherwise, to keep my mind on good things. I listen to Christian music, sometimes singing along, and that blocks out the disrupters of peace that want to control my mind.

The old hymns and southern gospel songs have been referred to as three-minute sermons. There is a real message in every one of them. Most were inspired in some way by a particular passage of scripture or the general message of a particular section of God's word.

In the previous chapter I toiled several hours over a number of days pulling together my thoughts on how we have to surrender certain things in our life to Jesus as we seek to acquire a more peaceful life.

There is an old hymn that covers the subject very well in five short stanzas and a chorus. If you have been in a church any number of times, you most likely are familiar with this song written and published in 1896.

I Surrender All

All to Jesus I surrender, All to him I freely give; I will ever love and trust him, In his presence daily live. Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all, All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at his feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain) All to Jesus I surrender; Make me, Savior, wholly thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that thou art mine. (Refrain) All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to thee, Fill me with thy love and power, Let thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain) All to Jesus I surrender; Now I feel the sacred flame. Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to his name! (Refrain)

This song is considered by some to be one of the three most used songs for a church "alter call." An "alter call" is when a pastor or preacher invites anyone in the service to come to the alter to kneel and offer themselves or their burdens to Jesus Christ. Generally the pianist or organist will play the song during this time of reflection. Often the congregation will sing the lyrics providing a near constant reminder for those in attendance and at the alter to "surrender all."

The lyrics were written by Judson Wheeler Van DeVenter, who said the words came to him as he surrendered to the ministry, giving up his teaching career and life-long dream to be an outstanding and famous artist. Mr. Van DeVenter, who went on to become an hymnologist and study and teach the history of hymns, says the words to the song came to him after a five-year struggle to resist the call to ministerial service. Mr. Van DeVenter said he was attending a revival at a Methodist Church in Dundee, Michigan, where he was a member and assisting with the revival meetings, when people began encouraging him to become an evangelist. Five years later, he decided to "surrender all" of his former hopes and dreams to become an evangelist.

Soon after his surrender, Mr. Van DeVenter was at the East Palestine, Ohio, home of George Sebring, founder of the Sebring Camp Meeting and Bible Conference, when words to the song came to him. His friend Winfield S. Weeden put music to the lyrics, and a great hymn of the faith was born.

Van DeVenter went on to be a professor of hymnology at the Florida Bible Institute where he met a young man who would go on to be a legendary evangelist, Billy Graham. Graham used "I Surrender All" regularly at his Crusade meetings.

Mr. Van DeVenter passed away in 1939 at age 43.

Many modern singers have recorded this old hymn, including Mahalia Jackson, Aundrae Crouch, Little Richard, Glen Campbell, Cece Winans, Amy Grant, the Newsboys and Carrie Underwood.

Wikipedia.com has an extensive section about the song, including a story about how Oprah Winfrey says "I Surrender All" has played a pivotal role in her life. Before her mega stardom, while she was still hosting a local show on a Chicago station, Oprah auditioned for the role of Sophia in the 1985 film The Color Purple. She desperately wanted the role but she was told that "real" actresses were being considered for the role. Oprah, in a final attempt to be considered, went to a weight-loss camp. During her trying workouts, running on a track, she said she surrendered her desperate desire to God and sang "I Surrender All" until it brought her a sense of peace and release. After a workout she received a call from Steven Spielberg offering her the part. For her performance she was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Later that year her television show went national, solidifying her iconic career.

Much comfort and peace is available through hymns, gospel music and praise and worship songs.

This is a chapter from my book God Give Me Peace And This Little Book,

available on Amazon.

Thanks for reading. Your comments would make this post more interesting.