intensive music question

January 10, 2004

I went to a 2 day intensive, and the last song they play is

Amazing Grace. I'm wondering if anyone knows WHO sang that

version of Amazing Grace... the one with the story about the

slave ship owner. Any ideas?

January 10, 2004

> I went to a 2 day intensive, and the last song they play is

> Amazing Grace. I'm wondering if anyone knows WHO sang that

> version of Amazing Grace... the one with the story about the

> slave ship owner. Any ideas?

>

Hi -

I love many versions of Amazing Grace. The version you are speaking

about I think is one by Slaid Cleaves but I do not know the title of

the CD.

If you go looking for it, you may also wish to listen to a cd by

Schwartz called State of Grace that has a beautiful rendition of

Amazing Grace sung by Lisbeth along with Miseree - (have mercy

on me oh God according to thy great kindness) and Veni Creator's

Spiritus (come Holy Spirit and fill my soul). What makes this cd so

absolutely fabulous is the feeling behind the singing (especially the

a capella choral parts) ...which is what makes Slaid Cleaves' version

also wonderful.

Good luck in finding your song....Jan

January 10, 2004

A Free Gift

God's Good News

There's Only One Way

" Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none

other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be

saved. "

.. . . Acts 4:12 . . .

God's Simple Plan

Lost and Found

The Road to Heaven

Faith's Review and Expectation

Rev. Newton (1725-1807 )

Newton wrote a song that told the story of his life. 1 Chronicles

17:16 was the verse that inspired him to write Faith's Review And

Expectation . The verse reads, " And the king came and sat before

the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that

thou hast brought me hitherto? " The verse of the song that reflects the

1 Chronicles passage reads this way - " Thro' many dangers, toils and

snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home. "

You might be thinking " Wait a minute. That is not Faith's Review and

Expectation, that is Amazing Grace…how sweet the sound, that sav'd a

wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I

see! " To be sure, the song is Amazing Grace , perhaps the most beloved

song of all times. The original title was Faith's Review….

But who is the self-proclaimed " wretch " who wrote the song? Newton

was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant

ship which sailed the Mediterranean. In July or 1732, thirteen days

before his seventh birthday, death took his saintly mother who had

since his third birthday been his teacher and friend. He took the death

of his mother hard. In fact, it became evident that he was bitter at

God over his circumstance because he began as one author puts it, " a

decline into rebellion and degradation that lasted until his 24th

year. " At 11 years of age he went to sea with his father and made six

voyages with him before the elder Newton retired. In 1744 was

forced into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. The

conditions on board were intolerable to him, so he deserted but was

soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to

common seaman.

Finally, at his own request, Newton was exchanged into service on a

slave ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became

the servant of a slave trader and was brutally abused. Early in 1748 he

was rescued by a sea captain who had known 's father.

Newton ultimately became captain of his own slave ship. And what

kind of captain was he? Terry writes, " It is reported that at

times he was so wretched that even his crew regarded him as little more

than an animal. Once he fell overboard and his ship's crew refused to

drop a boat to him. Instead they threw a harpoon at him, with which

they dragged him back into the ship. " But God intervened in Newton's

life and got his attention through a violent storm. The gale was so

severe that all the livestock were washed overboard and the crew tied

themselves to the ship to keep from being swept overboard. As he was

attempting to steer the ship through the violent storm, he experienced

what he was to refer to later as his " great deliverance. " He recorded

in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely

sink, he exclaimed, " Lord, have mercy upon us. " Later in his cabin he

reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had

addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for

him. For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10,

1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he

subjected his will to a higher power. " Thro' many dangers, toils and

snares, I have already come; 'tis grace has bro't me safe thus far, and

grace will lead me home. " He continued in the slave trade for a time

after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his

care were treated humanely.

In 1750 he married Catlett, with whom he had been in love for many

years. By 1755, after a serious illness, he had given up seafaring

forever. During his days as a sailor he had begun to educate himself,

teaching himself Latin, among other subjects. From 1755 to 1760 Newton

was surveyor of tides at Liverpool, where he came to know

Whitefield, deacon in the Church of England, evangelistic preacher, and

leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church. Newton became Whitefield's

enthusiastic disciple. During this period Newton also met and came to

admire Wesley, founder of Methodism. Newton's self-education

continued, and he learned Greek and Hebrew.

He decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York

for ordination. The Archbishop refused his request, but Newton

persisted in his goal, and he was subsequently ordained by the Bishop

of Lincoln and accepted the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton's

church became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He

preached not only in Olney but in other parts of the country. In 1767

the poet Cowper settled at Olney, and he and Newton became

friends.

Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and on his tours to

other places. They held not only a regular weekly church service but

also began a series of weekly prayer meetings, for which their goal was

to write a new hymn for each one. They collaborated on several editions

of Olney Hymns, which achieved lasting popularity. The first edition,

published in 1779, contained 68 pieces by Cowper and 280 by Newton.

Among Newton's contributions which are still loved and sung today are

" How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds " and " Glorious Things of Thee Are

Spoken, " as well as " Amazing Grace. " Composed probably between 1760 and

1770 in Olney, England " Amazing Grace " was possibly one of the hymns

written for a weekly service. Through the years other writers have

composed additional verses to the hymn which came to be known as

" Amazing Grace. " The origin of the melody is unknown. Most hymnals

attribute it to an early American folk melody.

Newton was not only a prolific hymn writer but also kept extensive

journals and wrote many letters. Historians accredit his journals and

letters for much of what is known today about the eighteenth century

slave trade. In Cardiphonia, or the Utterance of the Heart, a series of

devotional letters, he aligned himself with the Evangelical revival,

reflecting the sentiments of his friend Wesley and Methodism.

In 1780 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Woolnoth, St.

Woolchurch, in London. There he drew large congregations and

influenced many, among them Wilberforce, who would one day

become a leader in the campaign for the abolition of slavery. Newton

continued to preach until the last year of life, although he was blind

by that time. At 82, shortly before he died he said, " My memory is

nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and

that Christ is a great Saviour. " He died in London December 21, 1807

but left his executors instructions for his epitaph. It reads in part,

" Newton, Clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of

slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus

Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the

faith he had long labored to destroy . "

The grace of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ is truly AMAZING, is it

not?

Adapted from information by Al & Terry

E-mail: logos@...

" Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not

pass away. " Matt. 24:35

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On Saturday, January 10, 2004, at 12:34 PM, Meta Magic wrote: