Connecting Beyond the Walls
WELCOME TO THE DAILY DOSE!
Today’s word of hope comes from our own Jake Hill, Music Associate / Organist
It is a pillar of our faith, really-one that most all of us learned when we were small children by way of an old spiritual-turned-children’s song (one that our own First Baptist kids heard this weekend!)- He’s got the whole world in his hand! Where would we Christians be without knowing our God is as big as he is, larger than any problems or obstacles this life hurtles towards us? That knowledge is what we are reminded of this week, and how fitting that truth is- this pandemic we find ourselves navigating has not affected just a few folks here and there, but, rather, has brought the entire world to it’s knees. The disastrous and devastating side effects of this illness aside, already one can witness God’s hands encircling the world in its entirety. Suddenly, expressions of anger and bitterness are turning towards compassion and love as neighbors turn to neighbor offering a helping hand. The World Wide Web is erupting with hope-filled videos of kindhearted messages, musical moments that infuse bursts of joy throughout our days and a sense that this raging storm will eventually calm.
Clearly, I’m not the only one who fell back on the words to the beloved song this week as Tyler Perry started a “challenge” reaching around the world that has spawned thousands of videos of different people singing “He’s God the Whole World in His Hand”! From individuals to families, to friends and professional artists, digital collages of the great spiritual have surfaced, flooding the internet with rendition after rendition.
We are just a few days past the 30-year anniversary of what is likely, in many musical minds, the definitive recording of this piece. On March 18th, 1990, famed sopranos Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle gave a performance called “Spirituals in Concert” on the stage of Carnegie Hall in New York City to a sold-out house, stunning critics and music fans the world over. Let this electrifying performance bring you joy this day and in days to come, reminding you that God has us all in his great and mighty hands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJJ3PlU-lKg
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand
He’s got the whole world in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand.
He’s got the woods and the waters in His hand,
He’s got the woods and the waters in His hand,
He’s got the woods and the waters in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in in His hand.
He’s got the birds and the bees right in His hand,
He’s got the birds and the bees right in His hand,
He’s got the birds and the bees right in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand.
He’s got the sun and the moon right in His hand,
He’s got the sun and the moon right in His hand,
He’s got the sun and the moon right in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His Hand.
He’s got you and me right in His hand,
He’s got you and me right in His hand,
He’s got everybody in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand.