Hymn Of The Week: April 27, 2020

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

This week I want to look at the very familiar black gospel hymn, Precious Lord, Take My Hand. The words come from the jazz musician, Thomas A. Dorsey. Many hymns are conceived in the throes of tragedy. “Precious Lord” was written in 1932 following the death of Thomas Dorsey’s young wife, Nettie and their infant son.

Being a young jazz musician, he was called from his home in Chicago to play a gig in St. Louis, leaving his expectant wife at home alone. It was after the gig that he received the telegram of what had happened. He was of course inconsolable. Here are his own words:

“But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially a friend, Professor Frye, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening he took me up to Malone’s Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys."

As his fingers roamed the keys, he came upon a remembered hymn from the Methodist hymnal named Maitland which was paired with the text, Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone.

Here are the comforting words he paired with this old tune from 1844.

Found in Glory to God Hymnal #834

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I'm weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, precious Lord
Lead me home

When my way groweth drear
Precious Lord, linger near
When my light is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand, precious Lord
Lead me on.

The video I am attaching to this week’s article comes from our very own Chancel Choir from several years ago. This is one of the choir’s favorite hymns to sing. This particular arrangement also weaves in the words of Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech. What a beautiful and hopeful paring of texts that when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we can still dare to dream of God’s kingdom here on earth.

Stay Healthy!
Philip