Did you know?

Phillip P. Bliss was one of the early developers of what we might call today gospel music.  His hymns can be found in many Sunday School hymnals as well as standard worship hymnals today.  One of his favorites is “Wonderful Words of Life”.

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.

Refrain

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life;
All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.

Refrain

Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us forever.

Written in 1874 for the first issue of a Sunday school paper “Words of Life”, this hymn speaks to all of us of the importance of God’s Word in our lives.  Jesus says in John 6:63. “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life”.  Jesus’ words and all the words in the Bible are timeless and only become more “wonderful” with each passing day.

Mr. Bliss was born in 1838, in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.  He and his wife died a tragic death in 1876 as a result of a train wreck caused by a bridge collapse.  He was only 38. He survived the initial impact, but went back into the flames in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue his wife.

It is recorded that the night be­fore that ter­ri­ble rail­road ac­ci­dent he said to his au­di­ence, “I may not pass this way again”; then he sang a so­lo, “I’m Go­ing Home To­mor­row.”

Mr. Bliss is the author of many of our favorite hymns.  To name a few, they include, “At the Feet of Jesus”, “Almost Persuaded”, “Hallelujah, What a Savior”, “Jesus Loves Even Me”, and “Let the Lower Lights be burning”.

Diane