The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 86, July 1982 - April, 1983 Page: 34
616 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
In the arms of my dear Savior,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.
His sermon carried the same burden of thought, with elaboration
after elaboration on human frailty, the need through Christ's blood
to be born again, and the final resting place in hell for those who con-
tinued on the downward path with sin and Satan. Deacons said, "Amen
and again amen." Women wept softly. Workers pleaded in soft voices
with those who had not yet "given themselves to the Lord." A man
laid his hand on my arm and leaned close: "You been born again?" I
nodded. He moved on. Then the preacher reminded them of the saints
who had gone on before.
Suddenly a woman started toward him, singing in a high-pitched
voice. He shouted "Glory!" and jumped up on the mourners' bench,
singing with her, beckoning others to join in until half the people
were on their feet, rejoicing:
I have a mother in the Promised Land,
I have a mother in the Promised Land,
And I hope some day we'll all be there,
Away over in the Promised Land.
By the time they had started "I have a father in the Promised Land"
a woman gave a shout and moved in a slow dance toward the mourners'
bench. Her head thrown back, her eyes closed, she bumped into
benches, and into men and women sightless in their own exulting.
Almost without missing a beat the singers ended one song and took
up another, omitting the stanzas, beating out the refrain over and
over:
Oh, you must be a lover of the Lord,
Or you won't go to heaven when you die.
On and on they went, singing, shouting, dancing, praying, but no one
came to the mourners' bench, no one fell into a trance. When it was
clear the meeting was trailing off to an end the preacher asked that
they give each other the right hand of fellowship before departing.
The people formed two lines and, in a ritualistic manner, met to shake
hands with him and with each other, singing together their inner
peace:
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arm?
I have blessed peace in my Savior dear,
Leaning on the everlasting arm.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 86, July 1982 - April, 1983, periodical, 1982/1983; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101209/m1/54/?q=barker: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.