****WONDERFUL PEACE

In his early adult years, he was a teacher in an all-black school in the Dallas public school district.  Later he was ordained and spent about 25 years pastoring several churches.

But the threat of destructive cultural movements led him in other directions.

In the secular world, he became an activist in the political and social issues of the times.  For a while, he served as an officer in a powerful labor union and he led an “Anti-Tramp Movement” (not to be confused with the anti-TRUMP movement).  He was focused on the unlawful activities and social problems in the vagrant community.

But that wasn’t the full extent of his activism. Progressive populism had crept into our nation’s politics. Left-leaning people were electing Socialist Party members to Congress.  So, he formed The Anti-Socialist Constitutional Defense League and spent much of his time in the struggle to preserve our republican form of government.

In short, people were gripped with fear; it seemed like America was on the verge of an all-out war on our values and culture.

 

That was over one hundred years ago but it sounds like current events. We are living in tumultuous times where wrong is now considered right and evil is good.  And, regardless which side you are on, millions of people are fearful of the future.

Solomon wrote, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.” (Ec.1:14)

With all his wealth and power, he looked back on his life and repeated, “I hated life because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.” (Ec. 2:17)

Today, fear is gripping multitudes of people who are worried about our rights, our livelihoods, our freedoms, and our economy.  But, as Christians, we can have peace in the midst of chaos and danger.

Biblical peace is not an absence of worldly conflicts or struggles.   It is a fruit of the Spirit; it comes from God.   Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you. NOT as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jn. 14:27).

And a little later he said, “...in Me, you may have peace.  In the world, you WILL have tribulation” (Jn. 16:33).

     

Peace comes from knowing that God is not asleep; He is in control of all things and He works all things for our good and His glory.  Someone once reminded us that God is not much interested in our happiness; He is more concerned with our holiness.

 

That’s the kind of peace Warren Cornell wrote about in his hymn.

The soul, that trusts in God, is a soul at peace with God.  And that peace is WONDERFUL PEACE.

(Here is a very nice rendition of the hymn as sung by Bill Gaither and Friends Homecoming Reunion)

****NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD

Park University in Parkview, Missouri, was originally founded as Park College, a Presbyterian school in the late nineteenth century.  Its founder and first President was John Armstrong McAfee. He had five sons and a daughter who were eventually all involved in the work of the college.

When John died in 1890, his son Lowell served as president for 23 years. 

During that time, one of Lowell’s brothers, Dr. Cleland Boyd McAfee, served as the college chaplain and music director.  He often preached and directed the choir in the school’s weekly church services.

It was his custom to write an original hymn based on the theme of his message for every Communion Sunday.  That was an ambitious undertaking that must have produced many songs but MacAfee is known for only one published hymn.

In 1903, just one week before a Communion service, tragedy struck his family.  Two of his infant nieces succumbed to diphtheria. They died within 24 hours of each other.

Their home was quarantined to prevent the spread of the terrifying disease.   Relatives and friends from the school and church were unable to go inside to express their condolences, and the family was not permitted to leave the house to attend the funeral services.

Cleland MacAfee’s daughter recorded, “My father often told us how he sat long and late, (that week) thinking of what could be said in word and song on the coming Sunday.... So, he wrote (this) little song. The choir learned it at their regular Saturday night rehearsal, and afterward, they went to Howard McAfee’s home and sang it as they stood under the sky outside the darkened, quarantined house.  (NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD) was sung again on Sunday morning at the communion service.”