{"id":301224,"date":"2006-10-30T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-10-30T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/hymns-that-celebrate-freedom\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T22:42:29","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T02:42:29","slug":"hymns-that-celebrate-freedom","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/hymns-that-celebrate-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Hymns That Celebrate Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ace Collins talks about some of the little known facts behind the best-loved inspirational songs of America.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2006-10-30.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"11.35M","filesize_raw":"11900608","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[4299],"podcast_series":[7481],"cwp_profile":[8927],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-301224","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-faith","podcast_series-stories-behind-the-hymns-that-inspire-america","cwp_profile-ace-collins","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/301224\/hymns-that-celebrate-freedom","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/301224\/hymns-that-celebrate-freedom","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"eNMMTRo09P\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/hymns-that-celebrate-freedom\/\">Hymns That Celebrate Freedom<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/hymns-that-celebrate-freedom\/embed\/#?secret=eNMMTRo09P\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Hymns That Celebrate Freedom&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"eNMMTRo09P\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Ace Collins talks about some of the little known facts behind the best-loved inspirational songs of America.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2006-10-30.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0The man who wrote the song \"Amazing Grace,\" John Newton, never forgot how God's amazing grace had saved him.\u00a0 Here's Ace Collins.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Newton was one of the most despicable characters to ever sail the sea.\u00a0 He was a man who could out-cuss and out-drink anyone.\u00a0 He would literally pick fights, and this meanest of the mean was so mean he got kicked off most of his ships he served on, and he ended up serving on a slave trader, and in the midst of a storm all of them thought they were going to die.\u00a0 He remembered his mother's prayers and got down on his knees and prayed a prayer and suddenly the seas calmed.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And he promised God at that particular point, \"If you will save me, I will turn my life over to You.\"\u00a0 Well, a lot of people make those promises, and Newton was one of the few who actually fulfilled it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[song \"Amazing Grace\"]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0This is FamilyLife Today for Monday, October 30th.\u00a0 Our host is the president of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We'll hear more about God's amazing grace and about the stories behind some of our other favorite hymns.\u00a0 Stay with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[song \"Amazing Grace\"]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And welcome to FamilyLife Today, thanks for joining us on the Friday edition, and it is that time of year \u2013 time to get out all the CDs, and the season is just kind of in the air.\u00a0 It's in all the stores \u2013 time for Thanksgiving.\u00a0 Get out your Thanksgiving carols and start singing along, right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0That's what Barbara has taught us to do.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0But you don't really have that many Thanksgiving carol CDs, do you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You know, not that many.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0You do have the one that's from the back of her book, right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0I have a few copies of that one, and that's all due to Barbara really going on a search for hymns around Thanksgiving, and it really was slim pickin's at that point.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Yes, and Barbara is joining us on the program today.\u00a0 Welcome to FamilyLife Today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara:\u00a0Thank you, I'm glad to be here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0This is your favorite time of year, right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara:\u00a0It is my favorite time of year, that's correct.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Your favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara:\u00a0That's right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0And you wish there were more Thanksgiving CDs.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara:\u00a0I wish there were more Thanksgiving CDs, that's correct.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Well, we're going to be focusing for part of our time this week on some of the songs that might go on a Thanksgiving CD if you were to put one together, because our friend, Ace Collins, is back with us, Dennis.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0That's right, Ace, welcome back to FamilyLife Today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0It is great to be in Little Rock and be with you all.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You're such a prolific author, and I am so glad you wrote this book, \"Stories Behind the Hymns That Inspire America.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0I should have dedicated it to your wife because it means so much about Thanksgiving.\u00a0 If I had known you then, Barbara.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara:\u00a0If you'd known that \u2013 it's too bad.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0These hymns really inspire one, and if you don't know who Ace Collins is, he is the author of more than 50 books.\u00a0 In fact, Bob, about a year ago, didn't we feature Ace right here on FamilyLife Today?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0We talked about the stories behind some of the best-known Christmas songs, Christmas traditions, and there's a new Christmas songbook that's come out this year, right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0It comes out \u2013 yes, it's called \"More Stories Behind the Songs of Christmas.\"\u00a0 It includes 31 songs we didn't get to cover in the first book \u2013 a fun book.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0And the thing that was fascinating about this \u2013 in fact, I told Barbara as we were coming in the studio, I said, \"You're such a history buff,\" and she told me the other day, Bob, she wished she could go back to school and get a degree in history and just to learn more of what God was up to throughout history.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, you know what?\u00a0 As you study these hymns that Ace has written about here, you are about to hear some of the \u2013 I believe \u2013 the moving of God's spirit upon people's minds and hearts that have resulted in some of the great hymns of the faith.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0And while these are not all Thanksgiving-oriented songs, they are songs about America, songs that have inspired us.\u00a0 Some of them are hymns, some of them are more popular songs, but all of them really do point to God's blessing on our country, don't they?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0And certainly we have been blessed, and when you think about, I guess, a hymn that really reflects America's values better than any, you think of \"Amazing Grace,\" because \u2013 and we started the book with it for that reason.\u00a0 It was actually written by an Englishman, John Newton.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Now, hang on, before you tell the story, because we do have \u2013 you remember this from the last time you were on \u2013 one of our callers who, whenever he hears that you're going to be on FamilyLife Today, he wants equal time.\u00a0 This is a man who we refer to as \"Mr. Know-it-All,\" and Mr. Know-it-All has been actually dogging you all across the country claiming that your stories are just not accurate.\u00a0 Mr. Know-it-All has the distinction of being the person most often kicked off Wikipedia, so it's just an example of his prowess, and he is \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0It's my understanding, Bob, that Mr. Know-it-All has been on a crash course taking college courses and attempting to even become the superior know-it-all.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Well, I think it's accurate to say he has crashed, yes.\u00a0 He is on the phone with us.\u00a0 Mr. Know-it-All, welcome to FamilyLife Today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0 Hello?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Yes, Mr. Know-it-All, you're on the air.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0 Hi, Bob.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0We're glad that you called in today, and we have our friend, Ace Collins, here who was about \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0 Oh, hi, Ace.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0How ya doin'?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0 Good, how are you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Always enjoy coming back here just to hear one of the most interesting callers I've ever heard in all my life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0 Did you get my letter?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Which one of the four?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0 Oh, okay, well, let me know what you think.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Mr. Know-it-All, it's \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0It's great.\u00a0 It's in the birdcage, and the bird is really enjoying it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Let me ask Mr. Know-it-All \u2013 you've done a lot of research into the hymn, \"Amazing Grace?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0 Mm-hm, a lot.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0And would you just like to inform our listeners where this song really came from and the real story behind this great hymn?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0You know, that's interesting.\u00a0 A lot of people think of that as a hymn, but, you know, it actually didn't start as a hymn, did you know that?\u00a0 Ace, did you know that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0I was unaware of that, yeah.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0It actually started, it was in the 19th century there was a colonel, Colonel Horatio Bafflestone.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Horatio?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Bafflestone.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Bafflestone.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0That's right.\u00a0 Well, anyway, there was this snowstorm.\u00a0 It was in New York City, there was this terrible snowstorm, and he was just wandering through the streets and, you know, blinded by the snow, and he thought he was going to die.\u00a0 Anyway, he heard this sound, and the sound was tap dancing, and he followed that sound to this auditorium, and the tap dancer was the \"Amazing Grace Foster.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Oh, my goodness.\u00a0 This is \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0He was saved \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0\u2026 this is \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0\u2026 saved by the sound of her tap dancing.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Through the snowstorm.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0Amazing Grace Foster, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.\u00a0 I once was lost \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0\u2026 but now \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara:\u00a0\u2026 in the snowstorm, huh?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0In the snowstorm.\u00a0 And then, over time, it sort of changed.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Thank you, Mr. Know-it-All, thanks for calling in today.\u00a0 It's so nice to hear from you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Go back to your \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0Feel free to call me back anytime.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Yeah, yeah.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Go back to your studies.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMr. Know-it-All:\u00a0Thank you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Ace, what's the real story behind \"Amazing Grace.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Well, you go back to John Newton, and Newton was one of the most despicable characters to ever sail the sea in the 1700s.\u00a0 He was a man who could out-cuss and out-drink anyone.\u00a0 He actually ran away from home as a child because his mother could not control him.\u00a0 He would literally pick fights, and this meanest of the mean was so mean he got kicked off most of his ships he served on and ended up serving on a slave trader, and they only picked the people who had absolutely no class at all to serve on a slave trader, and in the midst of a storm, a hurricane, really, when all of them thought they were going to die, he remembered his mother's prayers and got down on his knees and prayed a prayer and suddenly the seas calmed.\u00a0 And he promised God at that particular point, \"If you will save me, I will turn my life over to You.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, a lot of people make those promises, and Newton was one of the few who actually fulfilled it and went out and became a preacher, and 20 years after the fact wrote his testimony in song, and the song that we know as \"Amazing Grace.\"\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, we sing it to an American melody, not the English melody.\u00a0 They sing it, took and it's either Virginia harmony or Kentucky harmony.\u00a0 It's an old folk song, and the last verse, \"When we've been there 10,000 years,\" was added in America.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0But I think it is really interesting that a man who was on his way to America with a load of slaves found himself freed from the bonds of spiritual slavery through a prayer on that ship and, therefore, that song that was inspired on a slave trader has also probably been responsible for more people coming to know the Lord and being freed from the chains of slavery than any other song.\u00a0 And, certainly, it is a song you hear a great deal at Thanksgiving.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0It is a song that my mom has said she wants sung at her funeral by my sons.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Really?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0It's her favorite hymn, and I think a lot of people would say, \"It's my favorite hymn,\" do you think?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0I do.\u00a0 In fact, if you look in the Scripture at Ephesians, chapter 5, and it commands us in verse 18 to be filled with the spirit.\u00a0 Verse 19 says, \"Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Isn't it interesting that one of the first things mentioned as a result of being filled with God's Spirit is hymns or songs that give praise to God.\u00a0 And I think if there has been a song throughout history that has turned our hearts back to God, it has been that hymn.\u00a0 I mean, it's now been rearranged in so many different ways by so many different hymn writers and singers and the like, it's just amazing how God uses it even today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Well, and realize, back in the '60s, during the Vietnam War, this song went to number 1 on the pop charts when Judy Collins sang it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Judy Collins, right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0So this is a number 1 rock song besides being a great hymn.\u00a0 And also consider this fact, I found this very unusual \u2013 in the movie, the third \"Star Trek\" movie, they played it at Spock's funeral.\u00a0 And so, obviously, Christ not only came for us, He came for the Vulcans as well.\u00a0 It's a situation where that is how universal, though, that song really is, because they pictured it still being an important part of spiritually and spiritual movements 300 years in the future when they wrote that movie.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Barbara, you love great hymns and songs about America.\u00a0 Do you want to pick one for Ace to tell us about?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara:\u00a0Why don't you tell us about \"God Bless America?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0One of the neatest stories in the whole world, and I think this reflects America and what it is better than any other song \u2013 the promise of America.\u00a0 I mean, to picture a young woman who has this dynamic voice.\u00a0 She's a girl, and she's singing everywhere during the midst of a war bond rally when she's 13 years old she sings, and General Pershing hears her and takes her to the White House to President Wilson and said, \"Listen to this girl sing.\"\u00a0 And Wilson tells this girl, \"Whatever you do is you use your God-given talent, it's wonderful.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And so rather than go on to a logical field, this young woman, when she graduates from high school pursues music, and she eventually makes it to Broadway after working vaudeville.\u00a0 But the problem is, she's got this great voice but all people see is a 300-pound body.\u00a0 And so she's the butt of the jokes.\u00a0 Every night she is the person, the fat lady, they come out and laugh at.\u00a0 She's the one who has her heart broken on stage each and every night.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0That's an element of this song.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Now, is she literally the one for whom the line, \"It's not over until the fat lady sings?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0You could honestly probably say that, and she did sing \"Over There\" for Pershing.\u00a0 So, I mean, \"over\" is a thought.\u00a0 But now let's go back and trace it back before we connect this woman and reveal her identity to the song's writer \u2013 Irving Berlin.\u00a0 He came to the United States with his family as a small boy escaping religious persecution because he was Jewish; came to America as a waiter in Tin Pan Alley and started to get to know people and wrote little ditties, and those little ditties became songs these people used in vaudeville acts and things.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And suddenly in the midst of the teens, he became one of the most important songwriters in the country composing musical scores along with George M. Cohan, that really riveted the nation on Broadway.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, he thought it was his duty as an America, because he loved this country so much because it had given him so much in World War II to write a musical that would be performed by troops to raise money for widows and orphans of World War I.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0He wrote it during the dress rehearsal.\u00a0 He heard all of this music and thought, \"Man, this is good.\u00a0 We've done something special, but the last song is horrible.\u00a0 It's too sugary, it's too sweet, everybody will laugh at it, it won't fit the mood.\"\u00a0 He took that song out of the show before it premiered, put it in a trunk and forgot about it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, 1938, the fat little girl has grown into Kate Smith and has been saved as a major star because of radio, because it doesn't make any difference what you look like on radio.\u00a0 They heard her sincerity; they heard her dynamic voice, and she was looking for a song to sing on Armistice Day.\u00a0 So she sent her agent over to talk to Irving Berlin.\u00a0 Berlin said, \"I think I've got something that might be good for her.\u00a0 It's an old march tune.\"\u00a0 It took him about an hour and a half or two hours to find it in the files.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0They brought it back, Kate Smith heard it, she rearranged it into a ballad, sang it on her Armistice Day show, and it was just supposed to be that \u2013 one time only.\u00a0 The song, of course, was \"God Bless America.\"\u00a0 The NBC studio phones lit up.\u00a0 People wanted to hear it again and again and again.\u00a0 Suddenly, they had to release a record of it to keep up with all the demand.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, think of this.\u00a0 You have a man who left his country and came to the United States because he was religiously persecuted, so he was rejected by his own country.\u00a0 You have Kate Smith, who was rejected by show business until radio came along and accepted her, and then you have a song that was deemed not good enough for a Broadway show that suddenly became the hit that many people wanted to use as our national anthem at that particular point.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0You know, so what you have is three different rejected elements coming together as one and suddenly they're not rejected anymore.\u00a0 And that's really how we come to Christ.\u00a0 We are rejected, and yet Christ accepts us no matter how we look, no matter where we came from, no matter who we are.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0And I'm reflecting back a year ago, Ace, on the songs that you spoke about on this broadcast and how a number of them \u2013 Bob, you remember this, how a number of them came out of people's lives who had been broke, who were devastated, who were at the end of themselves, and how in that moment of brokenness, God put a melody and truth in their hearts and a great hymn or a great song was birthed out of that brokenness.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0That's true.\u00a0 Handel's \"Messiah\" is a classic example of that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Mm-hm.\u00a0 What about the song that we learned in elementary school \u2013 \"My County 'Tis of Thee.\"\u00a0 You don't \u2013 are kids still learning that in school the way they did when we were growing up?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Unfortunately, I don't think they are because most schools don't have music programs anymore, they've been cut out.\u00a0 Music was a very important part of elementary school, and that's one of the things, like recess, that has been done away with.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And so they don't sing that like they once did.\u00a0 But \"My Country 'Tis of Thee\" goes back to a man who had a very complicated name \u2013 Smith \u2013 and here's this guy who graduated from Harvard who is now studying at Andover College getting his theology degree.\u00a0 And one of his professors came back from Germany, a tour of Germany, and fell in love with German anthems.\u00a0 [Uses German accent] Anthems, you know.\u00a0 It was all important \u2013 anthems.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, in truth, Smith wasn't into the anthems, but he was given the assignment of going through all of these hymnbooks, and if he found something somewhere to use, translate it into English so they could sing it at Andover in the choir.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0He put it off and put it off, and one rainy day when he had nothing else to do, finally went through the hymnbooks and found a hymn that he liked, and when he translated it, he discovered it was about the German queen.\u00a0 Now, that wouldn't work in America, so he jotted down new words for it, took it to his people, they loved it.\u00a0 They sang it at Andover and from the choir, and it premiered in Boston.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, this is the 1830s.\u00a0 We were a new country, lots of excitement going on, and here you have this song that this children's choir is going to sing, and everybody thinks, \"This is going to be so great.\"\u00a0 The audience, when it was over, didn't say a word.\u00a0 And after the service was over, they grabbed Smith and said, \"How dare you write a song like this.\u00a0 How dare you take an American anthem and couple it to the British national anthem.\u00a0 He had never heard \"God Save the Queen.\"\u00a0 He didn't know the British used it as a national anthem.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, the funny part of the story is at that particular point a huge debate grew out of it, and England didn't appreciate him using their national song, either, because it was their song, and then they found out it had been in a German hymnal 300 years before they had sung it, and it had been in a Prussian hymnal before that, and they hadn't written it, either, okay?\u00a0 And so both countries started to use it, and this has actually been used by five or six different countries as the melody for their national anthem.\u00a0 And yet the song that we sing, \"My Country 'Tis of Thee,\" up until probably 1920, was probably used more as a national anthem than any other song that we had, because we didn't have an official national anthem until the 1930s.\u00a0 And this song was easier to sing, obviously, than \"The Star-Spangled Banner,\" so it was a song that, really, many, many people love to this day, and it's a song that I think is used probably much more in churches than the national anthem.\u00a0 I think you hear this song in churches probably more than any other patriotic standard.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0One of the great things about all of these patriotic songs is if you get into the later verses \u2013 I mean, I think of the later verses in \"My Country 'Tis of Thee\" \u2013 \"Our fathers God to thee, author of liberty, of thee we sing.\u00a0 Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light, protect us by Thy might, great God and King.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0And you wonder, also, when you're thinking about that, how much of an effect that had \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Hold it, he missed a couple of words.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0I missed a couple of words \u2013 I was doing that from memory.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You were, and I was checking you out in print.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0He was singing the Methodist version of that song.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0It's interesting, though, Ace, as Bob was going through that, and I was reading it, these songs do have their roots in profound truths from Scripture.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Well, you have the roots there, and most of the writers have their roots there as well, because, you know, let's go back to Smith \u2013 student at Andover Seminary, you know, they were immersed in the Bible all the time.\u00a0 Naturally, when they write, they're going to see things through the eyes of someone who is relishing America's freedom.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0People of all nations gravitate to great songs from a patriotic standpoint to celebrate their nationality.\u00a0 I've been in Singapore at what they call football.\u00a0 I think it's actually something a little different than what we call football, but here we are in America, we sing this song today, and it turns our heart in unison as a group of people around that, and this holiday of Thanksgiving is no different.\u00a0 It's a great holiday for people's hearts to be turned toward God.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAce:\u00a0Exactly.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0And to sing hymns that honor Him and I remember, Bob, when Barbara first put her book together, \"Thanksgiving, a Time to Remember,\" it included a few hymns the first time around, as I recall, but you went on a search to find some of the great hymns of the faith to include in your book because of this very thing we're talking about here \u2013 how we want to unite around hymns of the faith at Thanksgiving.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara:\u00a0Well, the real reason for including music is, as you said, it's a way for us to put our focus back on the Lord, and Thanksgiving was a time where the pilgrims celebrated God's goodness to them, and they wanted to give thanks.\u00a0 And so when we have hymns that remind us of God's provision and of God's sovereignty in our lives, and that we need to give thanks to Him, it turns our hearts, and that's what hymns do, and that's why I love them so much \u2013 they turn our hearts back to the source of God's goodness.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0There are about 16 hymns on the CD that you have included in the back of the book, \"Thanksgiving, A Time to Remember,\" including \"America, the Beautiful.\"\u00a0 These are instrumental arrangements of these hymns, and I know we play this at Thanksgiving at our house.\u00a0 It's just nice to have it as regular, ongoing background music as you tune your heart around the Thanksgiving holiday.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And to have the CD with the hymns on it and Ace's book, \"Stories Behind the Hymns that Inspire America,\" which you can use for family devotions or you can use just for personal study, it's a great combination.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0We have Ace's book in our FamilyLife Resource Center, and we also have the Thanksgiving book, \"Thanksgiving, A Time to Remember,\" with the music CD in the back of the book.\u00a0 And any of our listeners that want to get both of the resources together, we will send along at no additional cost, the CD audio of our conversation this week with Ace Collins.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Go to our website, FamilyLife.com, and click on the red button that says \"Go\" in the middle of the page, and that will take you right to a screen where there is more information about how to order the hardback book, \"Thanksgiving, A Time to Remember,\" with the music CD in the back.\u00a0 Don't get confused now.\u00a0 There is also an audio CD that is a dramatized version of Barbara's book.\u00a0 That's not the music CD that we're talking about, that's the audio book, and it's available from our FamilyLife Resource Center as well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Go to the website, FamilyLife.com, click that red button that says \"Go,\" and that will give you all the information you need about the resources that are available, and get copies of these books and have them ready as you prepare for Thanksgiving at your house.\u00a0 I think these resources will be helpful to get your family's heart pointed in the right direction.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Again, the website, FamilyLife.com, click the red button that says \"Go,\" or call us at 1-800-358-6329.\u00a0 That's 1-800-F-as-in-family, L-as-in-life, and then the word TODAY, and someone on our team can make arrangements to have any or all of these resources sent out to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0By the way, we want to say a quick work of thanks to those of you who help support this ministry financially with donations.\u00a0 When we talk about the resources that are available, the books and the CDs, all of that is made available in an attempt to try to put quality resources in your hands and in your homes.\u00a0 But you need to know that the revenue from the sale of those resources does not cover the cost of the ministry of FamilyLife Today and, for that, we're dependent on donations from folks like you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0So we appreciate it when you are able to make a donation of any amount to this ministry.\u00a0 It's a part of what keeps us on the air on this station and on stations all across the country, and we always love hearing from you.\u00a0 So anytime you want to drop us a note to let us know you're listening, that's appreciated as well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0You can donate online at FamilyLife.com.\u00a0 You can also call us at 1-800-FLTODAY to make a donation, and let me say thanks in advance for your generosity.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, tomorrow we're going to hear more about some of the stories behind some of the hymns that inspire America.\u00a0 We're going to hear, for example, the story behind the bugle call, \"Taps,\" if you ever wondered where that came from.\u00a0 Ace Collins will be here to tell us tomorrow, I hope you'll be with us as well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team.\u00a0 On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We'll see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t_______________________________________________________________________\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you.\u00a0 However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would\u00a0\u00a0 you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/site\/c.dnJHKLNnFoG\/b.3782043\/k.384D\/Support_Us.htm\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright \u00a9 FamilyLife.\u00a0 All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.FamilyLife.com\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/301224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301224"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301224"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=301224"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=301224"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=301224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}