Hymn History: A Glorious Church & Author: Ralph Erskine Hudson “He often took old hymns and gave them a new tune, with a jolly, bouncing chorus.” (Robert Cottrill)   The Origin of the Hymn “A Glorious Church” The hymn “A Glorious Church” is a stirring declaration of the beauty, purity, and victory of Christ’s redeemed people. With its triumphant refrain—“’Tis Read more...

Inscription.  Always eager to learn Born in 1851 to an enslaved father, Albert Tindley, and a free mother, Hester Miller Tindley, Charles Albert Tindley spent his childhood on a rural farm in Berlin. After marrying Daisy Henry, Tindley moved to Philadelphia, where he found employment as a brick carrier and a janitor at the church he attended. Despite his status Read more...

Hymn History: A Child of the King & Author: Harriet Eugenia “Hattie” Peck Buell “Harriett E. Buell, a native of New York state, wrote the words for ‘A Child of the King’ as she walked home from church one Sunday.” (Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, Vol. 12, No. 22 [Spring 1999], p. 27)   The Origin of the Hymn Read more...

Inscription.   Born on July 2. 1897, in Somerville, Tenn., to sharecropper parents, the Rev. William H. Brewster was a prolific composer of gospel music, contributing over 200 works to the repertory. Two of his compositions, Move On Up a Little Higher (1946) and Surely, God is Able (1949) were the first black gospel recordings to sell over a million copies. An editor, educator, and poet, Read more...

2. Thomas A. Dorsey (Songwriters Hall of Fame). Excerpt: “…A high point for Dorsey’s music came when the legendary Red Foley and the Foggy Mountain Boys, stars of the Grand Ole’ Opry, recorded “Peace in the Valley,” which topped The Lucky Strike Hit Parade in 1948. His songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Jimmy Read more...

Thomas A. Dorsey Father of Gospel Music Inscription.   Thomas Andrew Dorsey, composer of over 400 blues and gospel songs, lived here following his birth in Villa Rica on July 1, 1899. At Mt. Prospect Baptist Church he was exposed to shape-note singing and at home learned to play a used pump organ, experiences he said “sprang” his career. The young Read more...

Exploring the Murals of Pacoima, CA: A Visual Journey Imagine, by sheer coincidence, you’re wandering through the sun-drenched streets of Pacoima, CA, and you’re suddenly enveloped in a vibrant panorama of murals. Each wall you pass tells a different story, a melting pot of cultural narratives, historical timelines, and the undeniable talent of local artists. You’re not just admiring the aesthetics; Read more...

From Wikipedia: In 2011, Italian archaeologist Francesco D’Andria claimed to have discovered the tomb of Philip during excavations in ancient Hierapolis, close to the modern Turkish city of Denizli.[15] The 1st-century tomb, found to be empty of relics, stood at the centre of a 4th- or 5th-century[15] three-naved basilica, the Church of the Sepulchre, which was one of the focal points of an ancient pilgrimage hill Read more...

From FindaGrave: Persian Monarch. Leader of the Ancient Persian Empire. He is mentioned in the Old Testament for allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem. Killed during one of his campaigns to amass more land for the Persian Empire. Believed to have died in 530 B.C. According to Plutarch, his epitaph said, “O man, whoever you are and wherever you Read more...

From Wikipedia: San Thome Church, officially known as the National Shrine of St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, is a church of the Catholic Church in India, at the Santhome neighbourhood of Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, and a minor basilica dedicated to Saint Thomas the Apostle. The present structure dates back to 1523 AD, when it was built by the Portuguese over the tomb of Thomas.[3] In 1896, Read more...

From Wikipedia: According to the tradition of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Saint Thaddeus, also known as Saint Jude, evangelized the region of Armenia and Persia.[6] According to Moses of Khorenatsi, an Armenian historian writing in the 5th century, Thaddeus suffered martyrdom in Armenia under King Sanatruk,[7] and is revered as an apostle of the Armenian Church.[6] Legend holds that a church dedicated to him was first built on Read more...

The Mystical Origins of “Ezekiel Saw de Wheel”   “Ezekiel Saw de Wheel” is one of the most dynamic and enduring of all African-American spirituals. Like many songs of its genre, it has no single, known author and originated on the plantation complexes of the American South sometime in the early to mid-19th century. Its powerful imagery and message of Read more...

The Origin of Andraé Crouch’s Hymn “Through It All”   Andraé Crouch’s enduring hymn, “Through It All,” stands as a cornerstone of modern gospel music, a profound and personal declaration of faith that has resonated across denominations, cultures, and generations. Written and copyrighted in 1971, this song is less a simple composition and more a deeply felt, autobiographical testimony born Read more...

Hymn History: Precious Lord, Take My Hand & Author: Thomas Andrew Dorsey “As the Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit … I learned that when we are in our deepest grief when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest and when we are most open to His restoring power.” (Thomas Read more...

Hymn History: Take Your Burden to the Lord & Author: William Herbert Brewster Sr. “Combining the fortitude of older black sacred music traditions with the fervor and rhythmic appeal of newer gospel songs, Brewster’s music was, in the words of gospel singing great Willa Ward, ‘as good as it gets.’” (Memphis Music Hall of Fame)   The Origin of the Read more...