Hymn: “’Whosoever” Meaneth Me” – Words and Music by J. Edwin McConnell (1892-1954)
Tune: McCONNELL
How long has it been since you sang this old gospel song? For me, it’s been a while… probably years!
I know that as a kid growing up in First Baptist Church in Pigeon Forge, I never understood the title or the recurring text of the refrain. I remember translating the word meaneth as something bad I did… as in, I was really mean today. I honestly thought we were singing “Who’s so ever mean as me!” Even when I could read, it took me a while to figure out what the hymn was about.
In the old King James Version of scripture, Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” McConnell was actually saying “Whosoever” refers to me. All those ‘-eth’ words in the KJV were just confusing – still are!
However, I got the opening line of this old toe-tapping favorite of the country church: I am happy today, and the sun shines bright. The clouds have been rolled away. That’s pretty straight-forward; even a little boy in the Beginner Department understood that much – and so does this long-time qualifier for AARP discounts!
Remember how that cloud lingered over Joe Btfsplk in the comic strip L’il Abner? He was for a time America’s iconic jinxed individual… with an unpronounceable last name! That guy could have used a good dose of today’s hymn line!
Joe Btfsplk finally captured his cloud in a jar and for a short time had a pretty normal, happy life. I don’t recall his singing of this hymn line, but he could have. For the first time in his comic-strip life, he was happy, he could see the sun, the cloud had disappeared.
I’m happy most days. How about you? I hope you are, too. However, when the clouds block out the sun – and I’m not speaking meteorologically here – perhaps we need to find a good Mason jar, capture the hovering cloud, and tighten the lid. (I suddenly had a flashback to chasing down lightning bugs – fireflies – as a kid! Am I waxing nostalgic today, or what?!)
Cynthia Clawson – my very favorite hymn singer – recorded a song a few years ago on her River of Memories album on a text by Gloria Gaither. It has rung in my mind so many times when the clouds have overspread the sky and billows round me roll. Here is part of the text:
It won’t rain always.
The clouds will soon be gone
The sun that they've been hiding
Has been there all along.
Some of us are standing in the shadows when we should be stepping in the light.
Weather-wise, it is a beautiful unclouded day in Texas! I’m sitting here on the back porch typing on my laptop, enjoying the morning – and I am happy today, and the sun shines bright. The clouds have been rolled away.
Grab a Mason jar and join me!
Hear a Quartet Sing This Hymn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=m4WY4791fGU
Hear Gary Chapman Sing This Hymn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rb4_3N3ErEA
Hear Cynthia Clawson Sing “It Won’t Rain Always”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dNXn-yAmxao
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