Continuing our discoveries into the authorship of church music

By Brenda Cannon Henley
Senior Correspondent for The Examiner in Beaumont, Texas

Last week in this column we discussed the importance of good church music and it’s relevance to the overall church service. We looked at the popular old hymn “Amazing Grace” and how it came to be written.

Today, we look at “Just As I Am,” another of the very old and very popular hymns of our youth, and a standard when thinking of Christianity. This song is used in many congregations on a weekly basis when the time for decisions to be made comes usually at the conclusion of the service. “Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou biddest me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.” All seven of the popular verses were written by Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871).

Elliott seemed to have everything goes for her as a young woman. She was gifted as a portrait artist and also as a writer of humorous verse. Then in her early thirties she suffered a serious illness that left her weak and depressed. During her illness a noted minister, Dr. Caesar Malan of Switzerland, came to visit her. Noticing her evident depression, he asked if she had peace with God. She greatly resented the question and said she did not want to talk about it.

After a few days and much thought given to the subject, Elliott went to apologize to the minister. She said that she wanted to clean up some things in her life before becoming a Christian. Malan looked at her and answered, “Come just as you are.”

That was enough for Elliott and she yielded her life to the Lord that day.

Fourteen years passed and she remembered those words spoken to her by Malan in Brighton, England. She penned the simple hymn that has been used to touch the hearts of millions who have also responded to Christ’s invitation to come just as they are.

Aren’t you glad that Christ does not require one to clean up, fix up, dress up, or even stand up to come to Him for salvation? He invites us one and all to come just as we are on the day or night we hear His voice speaking to our heart. Just as I was, a frightened, uncertain teen away at a church camp in Tocoa Falls, Georgia, I heard a clear presentation of the Gospel message from a young minister who seemed to care, but what touched by heart was a solo just before he spoke sang by a young man from Cuba. He stood and calmly and certainly sang “The Love of God” and every heart in the crowd seemed to be touched by his message in song. He appeared to me, even then an inquisitive person, to know what he was singing about.

I knew little of the love of God, but right away in my heart, I knew I had a desire to know and experience love such as he sang about in his song. When the invitation started, I stepped out and went forward where, thank God, trained, professional counselors provided by the Alliance church met me and took me into a private room where my questions were freely answered and I gave my heart and life to the Lord. Did I understand it all at the time? No. Did I know the Word of God better? No, not at the time. Did I have a visual experience or feel anything particularly astounding? No, but while I was praying the simple prayer, I did experience a sense of peace and calmness in my soul that I had never known before in my sixteen years of living. As I began to grow as a Christian and attend church services, I learned more about the Word of God, the great gift that I had been given and how to serve the Lord more with my own life.

You might be wondering if I’ve always lived perfectly right since the time of my conversion. The answer to that is, “no.” I’ve failed and slipped up, but I’ve never been forsaken by the God in Heaven Who gave His son for our salvation and Who invites us to come — just as we are today to Him.

In discussing this religious or character-based column with a very educated young man recently, I was shocked to hear him say, “I like you Miss Brenda, but I don’t read your column. I just can’t believe all that malarkey about a God in Heaven Who allows all of the bad things go on here on earth. I just don’t believe like you do. In fact, I don’t believe there is a Heaven or Hell.”

I’ve been thinking about that conversation a lot lately and I’ve been praying for my young friend. I suppose everything in life is really a choice and his choice is not to believe, or at least to say he doesn’t believe, while mine is to believe. God created us to be free moral agents and to make our own choices, but those choices do have consequences. My question to my young friend is, “Josh, what if, just if, in the end, I am right and you are wrong?”

It will make all the difference in where he spends eternity. If he is right and I am wrong, it really won’t matter much, will it? But, because I am a Christian, I will have the benefit of believing that faith is important, have help in making the right decisions and a remarkable peace to guide me through this life.

For those of you who don’t believe, please consider the alternatives and be reminded today that God wants you to come, too, just as you are to Him. He is waiting with open arms to receive you unto Himself.

Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788 or at brendacannonhenley@yahoo.com.