Thought of the day – Sunday 26th July 2020
We had a lovely worshipful time together at Elmsett Methodist Church on Sunday 19th July, during which we shared communion, in a way that meant we were able to comply with all Covid guidance. Music was playing in the background as we worshiped and one of the hymns that was played was “It is well with my soul” Watch on You tube if you would like to listen to the hymn.
I remember hearing Joni Eareckson sing this years ago and the story behind the hymn is inspiring. Horatio Spafford was a prominent nineteenth century Lawyer in the city of Chicago, who had invested heavily in property in the city. Chicago was engulfed in flames during 1871 taking the life of Spafford’s son and destroying all his properties leaving him in ruin. Two years after the fire the remainder of the family planned a trip to Europe, Spafford was held back in Chicago and his wife and four daughters set sail. On November 22nd 18973 their vessel the Ville du Havre collided with another ship mid Atlantic and Anna Spafford sent a telegram to her husband saying “saved alone” in the space of two years, the couple had lost all five of their Children.
Horatio Spafford penned the words of this hymn as he sailed across the Atlantic to meet up with his wife, the words of the hymn become even more powerful when you know that despite everything he had lost, his faith in God remained firm. It therefore seemed fitting that the American evangelist Joni Eareckson should include this hymn in her repertoire. Eighteen-year-old Eareckson dived into the water at Chesapeake Bay in July 167, misjudging the depth of the water and fractured her spine between the fourth and fifth vertebrae paralyzing her from the shoulders down. It would have been too easy for her to give up on life, but instead she has ministered to people now for over fifty years.
As a Church, we are missing singing our favourite hymns. Here is one hymn that isn’t in our hymnbook, but I feel indebted to Mike Stock at Elmsett Methodist Church for including it in his selection , at a time when we might be feeling the loss of so much in our lives, we too need reminding that “it is well, it is well with my soul”