“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said: Peace be with you! (Shalom)“ -John 20:19
This song’s lirics were written by Jown Newton in 1772, short time after his covert to christianity. This is this song legend:
As a child, John Newton lived with his mother in a house, at the seaside, on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. His father was a slave dealer: he used to catch black peoples in Africa and carry them in Europe, to sell them as slaves. About all the time he was gone away from his home, so the child rests in his mother care, and she taught him the beautiful principles of the Christianity. She told him about God’s love, the christian mercy, His power to forgive, she taught him to love the people. So, this way, he became a wonderful youngman dedicated to God.
But one day, here it is his father, coming back form one of his long trips. It looked like a dark storm when he appeared at of the door’s house. He was a scary man: “Hm!” he said, his boy has grown enough to work for the food he is eating. “Tomorrow I will take him with me on the boat. I’ll teach him how to do his work”. His mother started to cry but no tear would persuade the man to give up on his plan. “How long do you think I will work for him? From now on, he will work for his food. This is the final decision! He will gain lot of money by selling the slaves he will catch in Africa”
So, the boy left his home and joined his father on this ugly job. So he was tought to catch black people in their homeland and carry them by ship in Europe, to sell them on the slave markets in Europe. Was so hard for this boy who was taught to love the neighbors. Where is the beautiful christian love? Where is God’s mercy? How could he whip those people? But his father was there, close to him: “Whip him!” he said. And the boy did it. He whiped a person for the first time. How hurtful that was. His felt the pain as he was whipping on his own skin. But his father is there, and is yelling at him: “Whip him, whip him, you are weak! So, day by day, the boy is growing up. And day by day is far, far away from the christian teachings of his mother. He became a tough man. Who could ever reverse the time and come back to the pure boy he was?
But nothing goes forever. Here this situation gets to its end. John was sailing, as usual, when a storm began. A great one. Especially for a sailor like him. This was the worst storm ever. The wind blows so hard that was about to break the mast. The ship fills with water. The waves were about to pull him over in the sea. He had to bind himself by the steering wheel with ropes so he could stand on his ship. The only noise he could hear was the storm. But wait; there is still something else he can hear. What is that? Music?? Where it come from? The slaves were singing, down there, in the bottom of the ship. They sang their home sick and their family sick.
This was too hard for him. He looked up, in the black sky and remembered his mother and her teachings; he remembered the Truth seed sew in his heart. It was about to come up now. “God”, he said, “What you are trying to tell me? If you help me to get out of this storm, I shall devote myself to You!” And God helped him. Because God never sleeps. He is working. The weather began to clarify and the slip landed. Everything looks as it usual does. But not for John. He is a changed now. He entrust himself in God’s hands, there, in that storm, and God didn’t let him down. Because He never disappoints anyone. Few years ago, we can find John a new person, dedicated to God. A man who never forgot God’s mercy, His AMAZING GRACE, how God worked to call him, how He took him off from that storm, but beside that, how He took him off this dirty, selfish, sinful world. On the music he heard in his last trip he wrote the lyrics we know today.
This song is still working in peoples’ hearts and tells them how much God loves them, keep calling souls to Him, so one day He will receive them HOME. Amazing grace, how beautiful sound!
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Amazing Grace Lyrics
John Newton (1725-1807)
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
YOU RAISE ME UPWhen I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until You come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up… To more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on Your shoulders;
You raise me up… To more than I can be.
There is no life – no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when You come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on Your shoulders;
You raise me up… To more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on Your shoulders;
You raise me up… To more than I can be.
“You Raise Me Up” is a popular inspirational song. The music was written by Secret Garden’s Rolf Løvland; the lyrics by Brendan Graham. The song has now been covered more than 125 times.
The song was originally written as an instrumental piece and entitled “Silent Story”. The melody is based on a traditional Irish tune, the Derry Air, which is best known as the usual tune to the 1910 song Danny Boy. Løvland approached Irish novelist and songwriter Brendan Graham to write the lyrics to his melody after reading Graham’s novels. It was originally released on the 2001 Secret Garden album “Once in a Red Moon”, with the vocals sung by Irish singer Brian Kennedy, and sold well in both Ireland and Norway. Originally, Brian Kennedy was supposed to follow Secret Garden on their Asian tour in 2002, but fell ill, and could not attend. He was replaced by Norwegian singer Jan Werner Danielsen, who also later recorded the song together with Secret Garden, but it was never released.
Popularity:
In 2004, the song was played more than 500,000 times on American radio. In late 2005, there were over 80 versions available in USA alone, and it has become nominated for Gospel Music Awards four times, including “Song of the Year”. This version by Christian group Selah (with both verses included, as originally written) also went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Charts.
On 21 September 2006, You Raise Me Up became the first song to have sold over 20,000 copies of the score on the popular sheet music website musicnotes.com.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3.17
