Lent in BHM | "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" by T.A. Dorsey

 

"Take My Hand, Precious Lord" Woodcut by Kreg Yingst

" ... Precious Lord, take my hand.

Lead me home, let me stand.

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.

Through the storm, through the night,

Lead me on to the Light ... "

+ Take My Hand, Precious Lord
By Thomas A. Dorsey

(1899-1993 A.D.)

As my family gets ready to watch the American classic film, Selma, again this weekend to honor Black History Month during the month of Lent, we will be considering these questions together with anyone who joins us:

+ What caused suffering in this story?

+ Who carried the cost

for someone else?

+ What sacrificial love provided healing

for what was broken or wrong?

Why watch this film and answer these questions during Black History Month and Lent? Because

Lent is meant to be
Jesus Church's springtime,
a time when,
out of the darkness of sin's winter,
a repentant, empowered people emerges.

In Martin Luther King Jr.'s life of repentance, empowerment, and emergence, as he sought to embody and endure the questions and answers to the considerations above, during his darkest moments, he would call up Mahalia Jackson and say,

"I need to hear 

the voice of the Lord."

And then Mahalia would begin to sing the "Father of Gospel Music," Thomas A. Dorsey's classic, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord." 

One of these dark-night-of-the-soul moments in MLK's life is captured in one of my favorite scenes in Selma (another being when MLK is in jain and his friend, Ralph Abernathy, reminds him of Jesus' words to "Look at the birds ... " in Matthew 6:26-27). To see that powerful scene, watch Selma before Black History Month ends.

In the meantime, I encourage you to read the story below about why Dorsey wrote this song ...

"in a dark moment 

as this man called out to God in anger 

and God answered back, 

pouring into Dorsey a love song 

that would forever soothe the world."

The Story Behind, 

"Take My Hand, Precious Lord"

Thomas A. Dorsey, the son of a preacher, grew up in rural Villa Rica, Georgia, just west of Atlanta. He was raised listening to spirituals, hymns, and “moaning”—a singing style utilizing elongated notes and improvisation. Dorsey was also exposed to a cappella “sacred harp” singing, a choral four-part harmony separating treble, alto, tenor, and bass. His knowledge of these various African American musical art forms would prove critical as he turned to writing hymns in his early 20s.

The “Father of Gospel Music” started as a bluesman—“Georgia Tom”—making a name for himself as he banged away on the keyboard while Tampa Red picked guitar and sang. “It’s Tight Like That” became a hit song for the duo, selling over 7 million copies. During the early 1920s, Dorsey accompanied Ma Rainey with his group, The Wild Cats Jass Band. But something in the spirituals called to Dorsey, and it wasn’t long before he formed a choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church at the insistence of Reverend James Smith.

In an awful turn of events, 

Dorsey's wife died in childbirth, 

and his newborn son died one month later, 

leaving Dorsey devastated and confused. 

He found solace not in a bottle of booze 

but in returning to the spirituals 

that had forged his faith. 

Thomas A. Dorsey described  

this moment in his own words.

After breaking out into song

in the midst of mourning with friends,

later, sitting at his piano in his grief, 

Dorsey would compose what would become 

his most poignant song of all time, 

“Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” 

" ... God can transform 

your pain into purpose ... 

You might be in your darkest hour right now, 

but Thomas Dorsey’s story teaches us 

to keep holding on. 

There is life after death ... "

And since its first recording by

the Heavenly Gospel Singers in 1937, 

"Precious Lord" has been published 

in 40 languages.

“Precious Lord” became a favorite hymn of Martin Luther King Jr., and he often requested that Mahalia Jackson or another sing it at civil rights rallies or church services. It was, in fact, the last song King would request, standing with Jesse Jackson and others on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4th, 1968, seconds before his assassination. Mahalia sang it at his funeral, and in turn, Aretha Franklin would sing it at Mahalia’s.

"Through the storm, 

Through the night,

Lead me on to the light

Take my hand, 

Precious Lord,

Lead me home."

During this season of Lent as we remember how the saints who came before us clung to these Gospel sung words in their darkest nights, may we also remember and and say to each other:

"Don’t forget. 

I mean, I want ‘Precious Lord.’ 

Play it tonight."

+ Martin Luther King Jr.

With anticipation and joy,

Rev. Mike “Sully” Sullivan

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