This World is Not My Home

Dying is but going home

This World is Not My Home
JR Baxter, Jr.
1946, Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Co. in Sentimental Songs.

This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

My Savior pardoned me from guilt and shame I know
I'll trust His saving grace, while traveling here below.
I know He'll welcome me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

I have a precious mother up in glory land
I don't expect to stop until I clasp her hand
For me she's waiting now at heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

The saints in glory land are shouting victory
I want to join their band and live eternally
I hear the sweetest praise from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

This World is Not My Home
A CD by Lone Justice
at Amazon.com

The Christian has two homes. The one on Earth where Christ admonishes his followers to do good works and to live in his teachings. The second home is Heaven, that final resting place where all is beautiful and all is good, a home with streets of silver and gates of gold. How can one have two homes? As I visited Southern communities, this was a big question, with an honest, clear answer.

As one is rooted in the soil, one can be embraced by a Holy Spirit. In order to live on Earth, the soul requires constant spiritual nourishment. In addition to reading the Bible, many Christians will engage in praising God and that second home with Him through singing.

Singing is actively encouraged in the Old and New Testaments. The Psalms are especially full of the desire to sing:

Psalm 21:13: Be exalted O Lord in thy strength! We will sing and praise thy power.

Psalm 98:4: Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

Psalm 149:1: Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful!

One can sing alone or with a group. Either way, the purpose of song is to magnify and praise the power and glory of God.

Up through the 1960s, America flowed with publishing houses devoted to spreading the Gospel through song. Each publishing house would annually put out a book of songs that singers might buy for a whole group or for individual use. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the majority of songs written during the Great Depression were about going to heaven; a far better place than Earth, at the time.

Beulah Baptist Church, White Springs, Florida Today, groups of people continue to gather on a regular basis in church basements, auditoriums, even at people's homes. They sing out of such books as Beyond the Shadows, Dawning Light, and Heavenly Highways.

The singing starts with a prayer of thanksgiving and perhaps some announcements that might be of interest to the group, such as who is in the hospital and where another singing might be. The group then chooses the songs to be sung, and will designate someone to play the piano. The sound of singing is loud, syncopated, and in perfect four-part harmony as designed by the songwriters.

About midway through the singing the group will stop for a meal, usually a pot-luck dinner or dessert. This time, too, is one for nourishment and fellowship. In fact, the word "fellowship" is often used as a verb: "Let us fellowship." Or "That was good fellowshipping."

When the meal is over, the group tidies up and returns to singing. Singing is worship, and it is fun. A time for visiting and enjoying God with others of like mind.

I met Jeff and Shelby Shepard through Alabama folklorist Joey Brackner. The Shepards of Glencoe, Alabama are avid singers in a sacred music tradition called the Sacred Harp. This is a form of music and singing that has its roots in the late 18th century. Itinerant music teachers from New England traveled through the South to hold community workshops to teach the rudiments of music, including sight reading and harmony. The music of the Sacred Harp is published in an oblong shaped book, called the Sacred Harp. The music is different from what we see today in that (1) there are four notes; and (2) they are printed according to shape. A triangle is "fa"; the oval is "sol"; a square is "la"; and a diamond is "mi." When sung, the music has almost a marching sound to it.

As children, both of the Shepards attending singing schools. They met at a singing, courted at singings, and have attended singings throughout their 44 years of marriage.

"When I was young," tells Mr. Shepard, " when we got in the old car, you know the old, older cars back then, the old A models and this kind of stuff, were not insulated like they are now. And singing sounded good in those cars … And so we would sing. Any time we went somewhere we would sing.

"And we were farming and at night when we'd get in we'd have supper … Everybody would push their plate back, you know all the food was gone … and we would push all that back and we would sit there and sing."

Singing as worship is a form of community and family togetherness. It can define what home means to people, not because it is something to do -- rather, because it is spiritually important.

Having a history of singing is important to the Shepards. Jeff Shepard says, "As long as you're singing, it means as much to one person as it does another. I do think that the people who were raised in it have family memories back there that the new people in it that we are getting now will never have." People who are just learning Sacred Harp do not have the same emotional investment in the singing as someone who has been singing Sacred Harp as a way to get beyond the blues of say, the Depression.

Jeff Shepard told me, and Shelby Shepard nodded throughout this declaration. "It's always meant a lot to us to be able to sing, and we feel like this music, going to these singings, is a Christian experience, just like going to church. Sometimes more so."

The Gospel Chimes David and Kathy Hendrix of Texarkana, Arkansas can see the Shepards' point. The Hendrix family has been singing "Southern Gospel with a Country twist" for over 30 years. The kind of music the Hendrix's group, the Gospel Chimes sings, is called Southern Gospel which was developed in the twentieth century as a distinct song form consisting of tight harmony, usually in four parts, syncopation, and melodic accompaniment, usually with piano.

David Hendrix is the "father" of the group. David grew up in the Pentecostal tradition where the more music there was in church, the better church was. David began his musical adventures at an early age, becoming a master of the guitar. David and Kathy married in the 1960s and formed their group soon after. Today the group consists of David on guitar and vocals; Kathy singing; daughter Renee' on drums and vocal; and son-in-law Jarvis Watson on bass and vocals. Their son Robert and his wife Rhonda have a group of their own, The Hendrix Trio.

Singing for the Chimes is an opportunity to praise God and to hopefully "bring the glory down" on those who listen to their ministry in song. According to David, "We look at our singing as a ministry. See, there's a lot of people that'll come out to a gospel singing that might not go to church. We don't limit our singing just to church." Kathy continues, "When we pick out a song, we pick one that's got a nice tune, but what we like to do is pick out one that has … a meaning, a specific meaning, that when you listen to the song you don't have a whole lot of doubt in your mind what that song means." : "Won't that be a hallelujah meeting when we get to the Other Side."

While the Shepards gather for fellowship with other Sacred Harp singers, the Gospel Chimes present their ministry to an audience. Despite their differences, the common bond -- that of worship and praise -- remains.

Given that most of the singers I met work, their singings take place on Friday nights and the weekends. It is not unusual for a group to travel 700 miles round trip on a single weekend to sing. Theirs is a planned occasion to share in a culture of emotion that is Christ-driven and heaven bound through the tradition of song.

In African American communities, there is an equal time for musical praise and worship. It is most often found in a specialized program called the "appreciation." This description is a reprint of an article I wrote on the service, published by the University of North Texas Press and the Texas Folklore Society.

Throughout Texas and Arkansas, African-American gospel music musicians, singers, and lovers worship God in song and prayer. This particular kind of worship service is known as an Appreciation program. It is a time to appreciate God and the contributions a musical group or singer has made to Him. it is an occasion orchestrated by the group or a soloist. For while the group is appreciated on earth, all praises go to God in Heaven.

On Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, groups and soloists enter the worship hall and register their names. At an appointed time, each one will be called to the front of the room to say a few words about the host of the appreciation, and sing one or two sacred songs. The Harmonette Spiritual Singers

Participating gospel groups, such as the Silvertone Spiritual Singers, have been singing appreciations in the region since the 1950s. Some belong to the Arkansas Texas Quartet Union or the Arkansas Independent State Quartet Convention. In a border city such as Texarkana, home is not necessarily in Texas or Arkansas. State lines are blurred while the mission to God in song is solid.

The appreciation is held in a facility that has been dedicated by a minister and recognized as a house of God by the community. In Texarkana, that facility is the Union Memorial Temple. The Arkansas Independent Quartet Convention has seven singing centers located throughout the Natural State.

An appreciation has two distinct parts: the devotional and the service in song. The program is facilitated by an individual selected by the host of the appreciation. It may be a fellow singer; it could be a relative of the host. The only requirement is that the host be a Christian.

J.W. Matthews was President of the Arkansas Independent Quartet Convention from the late 1960s until his death in 1995. He explained the attitude one must have too successfully begin an appreciation program: "See, if you do a gospel program of any kind, it is for the Lord. Singing goes up. Gospel comes from. … So you got to first ask the Lord in.

The devotional is the time to ask the Lord in, to give praise to the Holy Spirit and ask it to enter the service. This turns program attendance into "church." It starts with an a cappella song, initiated by a group of individuals who sit in the congregation, They may be facing the congregation or sitting within the group. These men and women are respected in the gospel community as singers of devotionals. Often they are members of their respective churches' Devotional Committees. They are usually older members of the gospel community, experienced in singing the songs of their parents and grandparents,

Billboard, Anderson, South Carolina Amidst decorations highlighting the appreciation, a singer like Mary Lindley will start to sing unannounced, followed by those sitting by her side:

Oh, I know Jesus is on the main line
You ought to tell Him what you want
Whoa, oh, Jesus is on the main line,
Why don't you tell him what you want …

At the close of the song, one of the devotional leaders kneels to pray aloud. God is invited into the worship place and the host is recognized. The prayer is spoken, chanted, and sung. The congregation responds freely (see parentheses)

This evening, our Heavenly Father (Yes, Lord, all right)
Lord come on and see about us please ( Yes, Lord)
But if you come on, everything will be all right (Yes, Lord)
Lord, it's once more time and again,
That you look down on us all. Last night (Yes, Lord)
While we slumbered and slept (Yes)
Lord, You told us what to think of love (Yes, Lord)
And. And, when You abled our eyes to try to open (Yes, Lord)
And witness a day when we'd never could've seen before
Now, now now Lord [speech becomes a chant]
Now now now Lord (Now, Lord)
If you come on and see about us [chant becomes speech]
Everything will be all right (Yes, Lord)
You know, I know that Man have always kept
Your commandments so well. (Yes, Lord)

Please come on and see about us this morning
Bless these men who are trying to carry out your program
Lord please look down on them.
Now please, Jesus, have mercy on us this evening
These few words are said in Your priceless name,
Amen, Jesus.

The gathering slowly becomes church. It is transported into the spirit and ready for the service in song. The emcee, someone like Elder J.J. Smith of Douglassville, Texas, proceeds.

Road Sign, Anderson, South Carolina

"Everybody give the Lord a big hand for that. Thank you, Jesus, thank You. Hallelujah! We're here to have a hallelujah time here tonight. …and we are just here to magnify and lift the name of the Lord up tonight and sing His praise. We want everybody to get in the service tonight and just have a good time tonight., Amen. Let us say Amen."

Elder Smith requests a welcome. It will be a stylized statement fashioned from traditional phrases and the welcomer's speaking skills Ms. Justenor White of Bivens, Texas, is just a speaker: "First giving honor to God, pulpit guest, members. Visitors, and friends. It always gives me great pleasure to say to anyone "you're welcome" it's a privilege a queen would envy. She would not enjoy sitting on her throne if she did not feel welcome. "Welcome is a little word, and it serves to encourage those who are trying to carry on God's work. And speaking in behalf of the group in appreciation, if we had ten thousand tongues, we would gladly use every one to say to you, "You're welcome. Welcome, welcome."

Elder Smith thanks Mrs. White and asks for a response from the congregation, The response is not stylized like the welcome, although it often begins with, "Giving honor to God the salvation and joy in my life."

The emcee introduces the singers and groups who come one after another to sing one or two songs. The singing becomes a mixture of spiritual expression in the older spirituals and the modern gospel songs, such as Thomas Dorsey's 1932 classic, "Precious Lord:">>

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on and let me stand
'Cause I am tired,, I am weak, and I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on in the light. Take my hand, previous Lord,
Lead me on.

You can feel the spirit of home in the appreciation. Sometimes the feeling is so intense, your arms tingle. The singers may insert a testimony into their singing, like this gentleman did in Pine Bluff: "You can't do nothing but the spirit of the Lord! Say amen! … My Lord, I thank Him. … I saw a man lying in the doorway the other day. He sad, "I don't have nowhere to stay." But, oh, we got a place to lay our heads. Somebody ought to tell him. Thank you! [Sings] When praises go up. Blessings come down. …"

At a given point, usually after five groups have sung, a love offering of money is gathered by the church and an invitation is made for those who wish to be saved by the love of Christ to do so in the spirit of the gathering. The money from the offering is used to pay facility bills. The salvation of Christ will help the man or woman whose spirit is burdened with trials and sin.

When the last groups have taken their turns, the occasion winds down. Announcements of other musical programs are made, and a final prayer of thanksgiving for the appreciation is offered.

Although the words of songs focus on a great day and a better world beyond, hearts and minds are very much focused on the time at hand. As Sister Dorothy Spinx of Dumas told me, "Only thing we do is lift up the name of Jesus .. . for he's worthy to be praised, Amen. "

All of these occasions - Sacred Harp singings, Southern Gospel sings, and Appreciation Programs - are golden opportunities to affirm the existence of a spiritual home "where the soul of man never dies." It is place where one can rest a weary mind and jump for joy. Perhaps the key to this is in the belief that there is a home where one can be safe, "leaning on the everlasting arms," This is important. As the home on Earth is a floor, home in heaven is a limitless ceiling.

It is not uncommon to hear disparaging remarks about certain Protestant groups, "Holy Rollers" and ultra conservative lunatics. But these folks work for the same trhing their detractors do -- safety, comfort, peace, and tranquility. These are the things they too find in home. The differences lie in how home is sought and how feelings of home are expressed. It's the desire for home that is the common thread here. How we express our desire is a matter of style, style that deserves respect.

Over the years the number of song books has diminished. Stamps-Baxter continue to publish books like Heavenly Highways. Another long-standing publisher is the Jeffress Company, based in Crossett, Arkansas. This is a family business, and like Stamps-Baxter, the Jeffress family holds singing schools throughout the South. Jeffress continues to publish an annual song book; Beyond the Shadows was the book for 1991.

Sacred Harp is experiencing a healthy revival. The Shepards teach this style of congregational singing that is described in Buell E. Cobb's The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music (1989. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press). There are different versions of Sacred Harp song books, used by different groups or "conventions" of singers. The Shepards use the Denson version, which was revised in 1991 by a committee devoted to the tradition. There is also the B.F. White, or Cooper version, and a Colored Sacred Harp developed out of Ozark, Alabama. (1934)

Please see my article, "Giving Honor to God, the Joy and Salvation in My Life, in Abernathy, Mullen, and Govenar (eds) Juneteenth Texas: Essays in African American Folklore. Publications of the Texas Folklore Society LIV (1996. Denton: University of North Texas Press. Pp. 131-138.
Also, Ray Allen, Singing in the Spirit (1991. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press) and Michael W. Harris, The Rise of Gospel Blues: The Music of Thomas Andrew Dorsey and the Urban Church. (1992. New York: Oxford University Press).