Invitation Songs
We were a three-time-a-week family. Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, Wednesday nights. It didn’t matter if we didn’t want to go, if we didn’t like something that was happening, or if it was the middle of “The Wizard of Oz” and we’d never seen the ending because it always started at 6:00 on Sunday evening and church began at 7:00.
And somewhere in all three of those services, there was an invitation song. Here are the ones I remember at the moment:
“Just As I Am” (of course)
“I Am Resolved”
“Softly and Tenderly”
“What Shall It Be?”
“O Why Not Tonight?”
“Jesus Is Tenderly Calling”
“Why Keep Jesus Waiting?”
“Out of My Bondage”
“Bring Christ Your Broken Life”
“Lord, I’m Coming Home”
“Sinners Jesus Will Receive”
I know I’m forgetting some others. But these are downloaded into my head. And many of their lyrics are powerful.
Just as I am! Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Oh, for the wonderful love he has promised,
Promised for you and for me;
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon
Pardon for you and for me.
Which invitation songs have I omitted? Which ones have spoken meaningfully to you?
“Softly and Tenderly” was sung as the invitation song on Sunday morning, Nov. 30, 1980. The day I was baptized and it was also my Daddy’s birthday. So that song still brings a tear to my eye.
After learning the background on “It Is Well With My Soul”, that song can be sung on any occassion and convict me afresh.
After reading Mike’s comments this morning, I had to smile when I walked out of my house at noon to hear the First Baptist bells playing “Just As I Am”!!!!!!
Jeff- I’ve never critiqued the preacher!
Seriously, I have so much admiration for anyone who can deliver a sermon!!!
Again, it’s a personal opinion on the performance of singers in front of the audience. I get distracted and feel as if I’m being entertained. Again, not saying if it’s right or wrong, just my opinion.
Sincerely,
Lee
Brad! We did the same thing. LOL
“My favorite was singing “Oh Why Not Tonight” on Sunday morning. Doh!!!!! “
I love “I Surrender All”. I think that is because it is the hardest thing for me to do. But, my fondest memories are of singing at a retirement home every Monday during college. We would sit with a room full of young at hearts and sing from an old hymn book. They loved it and would talk about the memories that those songs brought back. Most moving were the ones who would sit silently with tears streaming down their faces. I was always moved.
I wish we didn’t have so many associations with certain songs being about “invitations” because I would like to sing “There’s A Fountain Free” and “Just As I Am” at other times… like moments of thanksgiving or communion.
Ahh, yes, the memories of lengthy invitation songs. I do believe we set some sort of Guiness record one Wed. evening in the early 70’s in Abilene. Gary Beauchamp came to preach our annual gospel meeting, and Wed. represented the final night in the new, condensed and hip 70’s version of the ol’ gospel meeting. I think we sang through “O, Why Not Tonight” about 2.5 times, with Gary ad-libbing and pontificating between every two or three verses. Scared about half a dozen kids or so forward. I always wondered why no one over the age of 20 ever came forward in those marathons? To me, the memories are sweet, but very, very distant now.
Why don’t those commin’ forward pencils have erasers on them? And why can’t the cards and pencils be bigger?
Why can’t we use a big chief pencil and pad? I mean who we kiddin, the 3×5 card will hold about one month’s worth of “doing what I shouldn’t been doin.”
I’m with Amy. Especially where “Just as I Am” is concerned. It is such a beautiful song – such moving lyrics about abandonment of self and the power of God’s grace. I wish we could find a way to sing it more often.
Actually, singing OWNT on Sunday morning wouldn’t be so bad if we CofC folks didn’t think we had to rush a repentent sinner right to the water. We could sing it in the morning, have someone respond, repent and confess, then baptize them in the evening…but noooo, not us…it’s right to the water in case they fall off a horse in the afternoon and go straight to hell!
Hi Lee,
Forgive me if I sounded mean-spirited, I sure didn’t mean to, honest. You have got to be the first CoC’er I’ve ever heard that hasn’t critiqued the minister’s “performance” at least once, even if to say “the preacher did a good job” in a positive review. Are you sure you’re a CoC’er, haha! Kidding, kidding!
Jeff
I attended a conference today and heard Jack Hayford speak about worship. He said the wonderful thing about the great old hymns is that most of them were written during times of great revival. When we sing them now, we are tapping into revival from a different era even as we seek it in our own time. That’s why he likes a mixture of old and new songs. I thought that was an interesting insight.
I am surprised no one mentioned “Tomorrow may be to late”
With like phrases like: “Today is the day of Salvation, tomorrow may be to late,”. And the forced 3rd verse that says “repent, confess, and be baptized. There is no other way.” What a Horrible song.
But there are so many great songs, Oh Sacred Head, There is a Fountain Filled With Blood, Love Lifted Me, Amazing Grace, O Thou Fount of Every Blessing, O to be Like Thee, Standing on the Promises. These songs speak to my past, present, and future.
We were also a three times a week, and every Gospel meeting family. My parents especially enjoyed “Three Unusual Days” with Jack Exum, I think I have had 21 Unusual Days. But to be fair we grew up in a military house hold and my parents wanted to be at Church with other military believers. We were there early and stayed late. Those other military families were our life line, and Mickey or Dorothy couldn’t do that for us.
They are so happy.
Happy.
Happy.
Who do their Savior obey?
Sorry Jeff, I meant to say “I’ve never critiqued the preacher in a negative way”!
Lee
I will never forget one Sunday morning about 30 years ago, our preacher gave a rousing sermon and then offered the invitation. The young song leader got up and started leading “Oh Why Not Tonight”. We all laughed and thought he must be hungry, ready to go home and thought any sinner could come forward tonight.
“Up from the grave he arose!” I love these songs but boy am I glad that I have a God who loves change.
I, like many of the previous writers, have special memories of many of those songs. The memory of “invitation songs” I want to write about came in the form of a question from our children. We were totally stunned when we realized our children didn’t know what an “invitation song” was. When my father died, the preacher said…after preaching what my father desired to be shared at his funeral…that he felt like he should extend the invitation. On the way home, we were asked, “What is the invitation?” While being happy that my children got to skip some of the sorting out it took me years to do, I was saddened by what we have left behind in that shaking out process. Invitation songs serve as a great time of reflection, something I think our society as a whole has left behind in our hurry-scurry world. I loved reading the words again to some of those beautiful hymns. Thanks for the post!
#492 in Songs of the Church (with the little musical note beside, blue book). Standing Outside.
The little church I preach for uses it about once a month for the invitation. I’m glad it didn’t make it into newer song books. It’s not the best choice of songs. There are plenty of invitation songs to sing. So, if you are leading invitation songs, you might, for the mercy of all those in your hearing, skip this one.
If you are not familiar with the song, look it up in the old blue Songs of the Church (the one with 728b).
It seemed like we sang “Day is dying in the west” a lot on Sunday nights growing up at University C of C in Abilene.
Another biggie was “I Am Resolved.” It seemed like every man in the congregation would become “Alpha Bass” during, “Hasten glad and free!”
I also loved “Sweet Hour of Prayer”.
“Why Do You Wait, Dear Brother?”
Interesting info on George Frederick Root:
http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2003/08/daily-08-30-2003.shtml
For a short time, I led singing at Central in Amarillo when Bob Barnhill was the preacher. One Sunday morning Bob preached on the sanctity of marriage. I thought nothing of my invitation song until a smart-mouthed deacon questioned my choice of invitation songs: Out of My Bondage.
I have been wracking my brain trying to remember all the words to this one but can only come up with a few verses.
“Standing outside the Portals,
Standing outside denied.
Knowing that with the Demons
Ever you shall abide.
…..to be away from loved ones
and by your God denied.
Awful, Standing Outside.”
I actually liked the tune of it as a teenager but the song leader refused to lead it after one of the deacon’s wife’s complained about it. Of course, it took on a different meaning completely when we found out later they were having an affair!
All that aside, thank goodness, we in the COC have gotten away from guilting people into repenting. I remember sitting thru Gospel Meetings that they would not end until someone came forward! We would sing three or four songs until someone came forward, often one of the teens just so we could go home!
I love the new songs but still enjoy the old ones too. A mixture is a good thing!
“I Am Thine, O Lord” was the invitation song on the Sunday evening (January 10, 1965) when I was baptized. I have always loved the words.
I am thine, O Lord.
I have heard thy voice
And it told thy love for me.
Now I long to rise
In the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate my now to Thy service, Lord
By the power of grace divine.
Let my soul look up with a stadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine.
Draw me, nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thous hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To Thy precious bleeding side.
I went forward to be baptized to “Almost Persuaded”. It really had little to do with the song, but more with the fact that I was 18, had been in the CoC my whole life, and after finishing my senior year of football, figured I had finally got all my sinnin’, cussin’ ways out of my system. Now I look back and think, yeah, “Almost Persuaded”, God has a funny sense of humor! That song reflected more about me after baptism than before! Nowadays, the hymn that brings a connection to me is “O Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Not really sung as an invitation song where I grew up, but it creates a stirring in me that few songs do. Even with the Ebenezer thing going on in there. My wife and I have begun teaching our children one “old” hymn per week as part of our nightly devotionals. It’s been a real blessing, especially when your 4 year old and 6 year old ask us to explain a word not used in common speech. As others have said, a lot of the songs we sing have great and powerful messages, whether they are “old” or “new.”
I remember standing for 25 verses of Just as I Am at the Jimmy Allen Campaign for Christ in Waco, Texas.
All the old songs lately seem to cause me to lose it during church, causing me to switch to waterproof mascara….they remind me of my mom and dad who are both gone.
I can hear my mom’s sweet alto voice in those songs and see my dad holding the old Songs the of Church! Remember how the OF was sort of big and italicized?
Also, I work the computer at my church, and when we sing the old hymns, we have to push the slides because the younger generation does not know the words to the oldie but goodies.
I always thought ‘O Why Not Tonight’ sounded like a rather whiney plea, especially when sung with a strident nasal Texas twang.
And the collective foot-tapping on the off-beat used to lull me into annoyance…
Thanks for this post, Mike — lots of fun memories! The first hymn I lead singing on was ‘Softly and Tenderly’. No foot tapping.
Deb – YOU led singing?????!!!!!???? I am assuming you are a female! You must have been with only other females. So, which part sang the echo “Come home”??? Hehehe…..
I really love this post! There is nothing nearer and dearer to me than our heritage. I thank God for my past years in the COC, but I appreciate SO MUCH the present day of feeling the freedom to admit that we do not (and never have had) the perfect interpretation of scripture. And, I look forward to the future in seeing what God can do through our fellowship of believers.
This note is from Serena V. (and I echo her appreciation, Winston):
Winston,
How beautiful! Thanks for taking the time to share you hymn.
Thys and thees work for me — especially since I had a Spanish professor at ACU (J. W. Treat) who explained to us that thy, thee and thou were first person familiar. It is the way you would address someone with whom you have a close relationship. Most of us using that language thought is was just the opposite. It was one of those pieces of information that changed my perspective forever.
Seems like a lot of folk are indicating that they don’t sing these hymns anymore. Am I reading that right?
Wow… I cried all the way through these wonderful memories. Thanks to all of you for sharing … and especially Winston for sharing his own work. We need to honor and encourage our writers to do more writing. The songs that resonate will stay around for ages. I thought of a few songs that didn’t get mentioned. One begins with the words, “Swiftly we’re turning life’s daily pages.” I have not thought about “Who At The Door Is Standing” in years … thanks for that reminder. We like to use “Jesus Let Us Come To Know You” as an invitation song. “Jesus Paid it All” is also a favorite. In the country churches of Mississippi a twangy version of “Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone” can be heard on any given Sunday.
“God is calling the prodical, come without delay…”
There is also a song in this old hymn book I have called “Did You Fully Repent” I am glad we never sung that one, even though such a question was sure preached enough.
I’m a bit older than most who responded, but it was “Bonanza” I resented missing on Sunday nights. Never did see the program until it was on “T.V. Land”. Until I knew better, as a young child, I loved any invitation song because it meant that the sevice was almost over! Then I reached that illusive “age of accountability” and began to hate all invitation songs. Now I’am a grandad and have fond memories of most of them. “There is a Fountain” might be my all time favorite of the traditional ones. When you reach the “age of accountability” you got to love that wonderful Blood that is the paymnet for our sin. You got to love Jesus!
Hi Joyce. We still sing these songs at our church every Sunday. We try to mix the old and new.
Debbie Curry — yes, I led, and still lead singing. All four parts, or whatever the score calls for. There is SO much more you can do with the echo, ‘Come Home’ when you have ALL the voices!
I live in a country where these songs from my tradition are not known. So every once in awhile I pull out a BUNCH of them (have to go softly, softly here, because the Brits don’t like to have the Americans tell them how to do church). They actually love them. I must admit I was slightly taken aback with some of the feedback I received the first time I introduced one of my choirs to some of my CofC favourites. One of my kindest supporters (an alto) looked up misty-eyed at me and said, ‘These Victorian hymns are just so different. Beautiful, yes, but they really pull at you!’
They notice the year every hymn is written, and give me kudos when we sing a hymn that moves further ahead into the 20th Century.
They were totally thrown and perplexed when I had to give them the hymns in the shaped-note version. But I quickly had a Leader’s Accompaniment Edition of ‘Songs of Faith and Praise’ shipped over here that prints the hymns in regular notation.
This past Sunday, they sang ‘When My Love to Christ Grows Weak’ during the Eucharist. We did it with the violin, oboe, and keyboard. I know a lot of you would object, but not only was everyone moved, I had to really be careful not to go to pieces. It made our communion so poignant and heartfelt. And it was the first time in four years that I got to hear this song again in the worship context of communion.
Apologies, Mike, for this long explanation …
PS: ‘There’s a Fountain Free’ also gets my vote!
I remember the song Winston wrote. I actually sang it with Bill Cook. Bill and his wife Bettie and my husband Tollie and I sang it. I can’t remmeber now who wrote the music to it, but I knew you were the one who wrote the words. (It may have been Bill Cook who wrote the music, just can’t remember.)
It was a beautiful song and I am really trying to remember all the music to it. Thanks for sharing this and helping me remember those happy times.
Peggy
Probably the most memorable invitation was one that had no song at all. Jeff Walling had just finished speaking at a youth rally (where else?)and everyone stood up. It was so powerful to not be distracted by the singing. He still does this from time time.
My father baptized me in 1967 after we had sung “Have you Been to Jesus”.
I also wanted to agree with what Richard wrote in an earlier post “Those old songs taught me more about grace than most sermons I heard.” I often wonder why those who whine that they never learned about grace growing up in the church didn’t recognize it in the last verse of “Years I Spent in Vanity and Pride….Oh the love that drew salvation’s plan – Oh the grace that brought it down to man – Oh the mighty gulf that God did span, at Calvary…Mercy there was great and grace was free – Pardon there was multiplied to me – There my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary.”
The most beautiful invitation song I remember hearing was at a small congregation in Arkansas in the 70’s…Have You Counted the Cost?
There’s a line that is drawn by rejecting our Lord,
Where the call of His Spirit is lost,
And you hurry along with the pleasure-mad throng,
Have you counted, have you couned the cost?
You may barter your hope of eternity’s morn,
For a moment of joy at themost,
For the glitter of siin and the things it will win,
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?
While the door of his mercy is open to you,
Ere the depths of His love you exhaust,
Won’t you come an be healed, won’t you whisper, I yield,
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?
Have you counted the cost, if your soul should be lost,
Though you gain the whole world for your own?
Even now it may be that the line you have crossed,
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?
OK…I’ve been a lurker for quite a while and finally decided to take the plunge! My favorite is Trust & Obey – I still remember hearing it at Clyde cofC! What a great song!
Ohhh, the precious memories you have evoked! Although I love much of the newer music I, too, am “hard-wired” for those old hymns. Brother K. C. Moser used to say that our theology needed to catch up with the hymns we were singing, and I think he was right. We sang a lot more about grace than we ever talked about it, back then.
In the past 10 years, one of the most powerful “invitation” songs I’ve experienced was when we were doing a series on the Ten Commandments, one per Sunday. In the sermon about the 2nd commandment, after being challenged by the preacher to examine modern-day equivalents like sports, TV and computer games that regularly absorb more time than we give to God… and how so many of these teen killers had spent time shooting other humanoids in violent videogames… and how we become like what we spend time with… we stood and sang O to Be Like Thee. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard it used for an invitation song, per se, but I was suddenly blown away by the line “stamp Thine own image deep on my heart”! After all, that’s what it’s all about.
Could you please send me the words of the song “Have you counted the cost if your sould should be lost”
Thanks.
Google is the best search engine
I have been looking for the words “Have You Counted The Cost” and found them here on your website. Thank you form the bottom of my heart. My husband passed away on March 21 and thre were so many attending the funeral who did not know the Lord. Again, thank you.
Stupore! ho una sensibilit? molto buona circa il vostro luogo!!!!
I wanted this song to sing for an appeal at a church service and found it here. Thanks a lot. May God bless you
Thank you for your beautiful posts. You have brought back many memories from my past, as well.
My favorite ( from the Baptist Church) was Higher Ground. If you listen to Van Morrison’s song, Whenever God shines His light, you’ll hear overtones of the hymn. He must have sung it as a child, also.
I was looking for words & music for an old song called “I love the old songs” it has different verses on some of the old gospel songs
Thanks
Kenny
I would like the lyrics to “O Why Not Tonight” it has been a long time since I have heard this song used in a invitation. I remember hereing it mostly during revials.
Thanks
In Him
Carol
from the following site:
http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Oh_Why_Not_Tonight/
written by Elizabeth Reed
1. Oh, do not let the Word depart,
And close thine eyes against the light;
Poor sinner, harden not your heart,
Be saved, oh, tonight.
* Refrain:
Oh, why not tonight?
Oh, why not tonight?
Wilt thou be saved?
Then why not tonight?
2. Tomorrow’s sun may never rise
To bless thy long-deluded sight;
This is the time, oh, then be wise,
Be saved, oh, tonight.
3. Our Lord in pity lingers still,
And wilt thou thus His love requite?
Renounce at once thy stubborn will,
Be saved, oh, tonight.
4. Our blessed Lord refuses none
Who would to Him their souls unite;
Believe on Him, the work is done,
Be saved, oh, tonight.
“Jesus, I Come” (”Out of my bondage, sorrow and night…”) is a powerful invitation hymn by William Sleeper. It describes many different struggles of the soul and the life-transforming power of the gospel.