GodReflection: Talking with God.
This morning as I sit before my keyboard, I must again thank The Holy for the influence of my lifelong friend, the late Theron Jay. Thirty years my senior, he led our church in song, he taught us how to pray.
With consistent regularity, he helped us talk to God through songs from the Psalms and the Church.
At Sunday morning worship, we might sing in prayer, “Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways. Reclothe us in our rightful mind, In purer lives, thy service find, In deeper reverence praise.” On Sunday afternoon as the church youth gathered to sing, he taught our voices to pray “Jesus, meek and gentle, Son of God most high, pitying loving Savior, hear Thy children’s cry.”
Then later that evening for the closure of the day the congregation assembled in recognition of the week before us. Theron’s tenor voice would rise to the Throne with prayers like, “I need Thee every hour, Most Gracious Lord, no tender voice like Thine can peace afford. I need Thee, O I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee, O bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee.”
On Wednesday with the arrival of midweek, we were aware that life’s challenges had surfaced, and our flaws reappeared within, once again with the close of the day’s activity our church family met to encourage one another and refuel. At appropriate intervals throughout the hour we were together, Theron Jay would call us to open hymnals and we found ourselves in conversation with God through song. “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. All your wonderful passion and purity; O my Savior divine, all my being refine, till the beauty of Jesus is seen in me.”
Before caskets that held death, we honored deceased family and friends in deep grief, with broken hearts and hope-filled lyrics, Theron would lead as we talk to God. “Be with me Lord, when loneliness overtakes me when I must weep amid the fires of pain, and when shall come the hour of my departure for world’s unknown, O Lord be with me then.”
By stark contrast, there were happy and more than joyous celebrations. A half-century ago we made our wedding commitments in the presence of the beloved
tenor’s voice while we laid our joint request before The Holy with the melodious plea, “Father, hear the prayer we offer: Nor for ease, that prayer shall be, but for strength that we may ever, live our lives courageously. Let our path be bright or dreary, storms or sunshine be our share; may our souls in hope unwearied, make Thy work our ceaseless prayer. Amen.”
And today, as I bring this post to a close, it seems appropriate to bring the flow of the notes led by the old blue color Irish tenor to the shared coffee conversation time with God. I have no idea who is reading over my shoulder, but this is my request for you.
For you, I am praying. For you, I am praying. For you, I am praying. I’m praying for you.
I have a Savior, He’s pleading for me in glory, a dear loving Savior, though earth friends are few; and now He is watching in tenderness over me, but O that my Savior was your Savior too.
For you, I am praying. For you, I am praying. For you, I am praying. I’m praying for you.
I have a peace it is calm as a river, a peace that the friends of this world never knew; my Savior alone is its Author and Giver, and O could I know His peace is yours too.
For you, I am praying. I’m praying for you.
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection, For You I Am Praying.
God Reflection 
Good morning, Gary. I am one of those reading over your shoulder. Thank you for these posts. I particularly enjoyed reading this one as it brought back memories of the hymns we used to sing regularly. Only now, at this stage in my life the words have such deeper meaning.
Blessings, my friend.
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Thanks Gary for sharing these thoughts. The words to those old hymns brought back a lot of pleasant memories. You are right, our prayers were often at their best when we were singing. Que Deus te abençoe.
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Precious memories! Thank you, Gary.
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Nice thoughts, Gary.
Last week I wrote about veneration. I wish I’d remembered to put Bro Jay on that list. Truly he was held high by many young men an truthfully, I was a tiny bit jealous of you boys who were raised with/by him. Great man… great Mentor.
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Loved Theron Jay’s voice and song leading. He led the song service at my dad’s funeral in 1994 at my dad’s request sometime before his death. Theron Jay was amazing. Thank you for your thought Gary!
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Ahh, Gary, the memories you stirred with this post! I’m so thankful for Theron Jay and how he passed his love of worship in song to so many of us. I loved our Sunday night gatherings before regular worship time.
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Thanks, dear Gary.
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