Some Sundays the lyrics from a great piece of Christian music will be featured. It's not that I want worship to revert to using all hymns, it's just that many modern Christian songs don't SAY anything. I really miss some deeper meaning. So I'm going to remind us of some great words.
Will Your Anchor Hold in the Storms of Life
Priscilla J. Owens (lyrics 1882) and William J. Kirkpatrick- 1890
The images and fears of sea travel were all too real for the centuries before we so easily jumped on an airplane to travel abroad.
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
Chorus:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the savior's love.
It is safely moored, 'twill the storm withstand
For 'tis well secure by the savior's hand
And the cables, passed from his heart to mine
Can defy that blast, through strength divine.
Chorus
It will surely hold in the floods of death
When the waters cold chill your latest breath?
On the rising tide you can never fail
While our hope abide within the veil.
Chorus
When our eyes behold through the gath’ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heav’nly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.
Chorus
For some reason this song just intruded into my thinking this week. I couldn't stop singing the parts I remembered, and finally got out the hymnbook to fill in the gaps. The symbolism of faith and the Word of God being an anchor is certainly as old as boats and ships. However, it's an image that is true. Truth never goes out of style.
I can't say that I feel as positive about the videos that have been made of this hymn. My favorite was actually The Scottish Boys Brigade singing it, but that video was more about the Brigade than the song. I loved the expression in this version by J. Ashley Milne, but there was only one image... it's called VIDeo because it's supposed to be VISual, eh? So, what you get is a Reggae version sung by Gloria Bailey, who made recordings in the 19060s and 70s.
