Is the word “calling” a noun or a verb? It is a noun with two meanings. The first definition means to shout or yell loudly. However, because the hymn “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” reminds us, it may well also mean an urge toward a profession, vocation, or recent lifestyle.
So what does this popular hymn tell us about calling? Who wrote it, and why does it remain so powerful today?
Let’s look further into the lifetime of the lyricist and composer of this well-known hymn.
Who Wrote “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling”?
Will Lamartine Thompson, also called “the Bard of Ohio,” was born in East Liverpool, Ohio, on November 7, 1847. He was the sixth of seven children born to Josiah and Sarah Thompson. His mother was known for her charitable works. Josiah was a businessman who served two terms within the Ohio state legislature.
From an early age, his musical gifting and talent were evident. He studied music at Mount Union College before spending three years on the New England Conservatory of Music after which traveled to Leipzig, Germany, for further studies.
Thompson began his profession composing songs incorporating secular and patriotic themes. While he tried to sell his works to music publishers, he was offered little pay for his compositions. Not content with the pennies he was offered, he selected to self-publish. He wrote songs like “My Home within the Old Ohio” and “Gathering Shells from the Sea Shore.”
“Gathering Up the Shells from the Sea Shore” became a very popular song. During the 1850s, it was second only to Stephen Foster’s “Old Folks at Home,” more commonly referred to as “Swanee River.” In 1934, it was utilized in the movie The Old Fashioned Way, where actress Jan Duggan sings it.
While his songs made him a millionaire, Thompson apparently was not completely happy. He returned to East Liverpool and prayed about what to do next. He dedicated himself to writing only Christian songs and began his own publishing company, Will L. Thompson & Co. He succeeded in the brand new enterprise: he sold about two million copies of his quartet numbers. Over time, he expanded the business to sell pianos, organs, and sheet music. His work grew enough that he had offices in East Liverpool and Chicago.
Will Thompson was known not only as a successful composer but additionally as a generous one. After deciding that rural people must have access to his music, he began touring. He placed an upright piano right into a two-horse wagon and played in small churches throughout the county.
Towards the tip of 1899, Will Thompson visited Northfield, Massachusetts, together with his dear friend, D. L. Moody. Thompson was one in all the few visitors who was allowed to go to Moody because he was near death. “Will,” Moody said, “I might slightly have written “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling,” than anything I even have been in a position to do in my whole life.”
While touring Europe, Thompson took sick. He and his family returned to the United States, where he died a number of weeks later, September 20, 1909, in New York City. He is buried within the Riverview Cemetery in East Liverpool, Ohio.
Nearly two centuries since Thompson was born, his legacy continues through his music and charitable efforts. In 1899, he donated land to turn into Thompson Park in East Liverpool, Ohio, with the stipulation that no alcohol or gambling could be allowed on the premises. The land continues to be a well-liked venue for local events just like the Old Fashioned Picnic Day, which has been occurring for the reason that park was opened. You can visit the Facebook page and watch the Thompson Troubadours choir singing a few of Thompson’s hymns.
What are the Lyrics to “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling”?
The lyrics to this famous hymn are as follows:
1 Softly and tenderly Jesus is asking,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he’s waiting and watching,
expecting you and for me.Refrain:
Come home, come home;
you who’re weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is asking,
calling, O sinner, come home!2 Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
mercies for you and for me? [Refrain]3 Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
passing from you and from me;
shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
coming for you and for me. [Refrain]4 O for the wonderful love he has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have now sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me. [Refrain]
While we don’t know the precise day that Thompson wrote the song, we do know some details about his writing routine. According to the Ohio Archaeological Historical Quarterly, someone asked him how he remembered words and melodies that got here to him at unusual times. Thompson answered that he carried a notebook with him: “No matter where I’m, at home or hotel, at the shop or traveling, if an idea or theme involves me that I deem worthy of a song, I jot it down in verse.”
Singers like Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Anne Murray, and Reba McEntire are only a number of artists who’ve recorded this song. Take a moment and take heed to the Martins perform this hymn acappella. You can also enjoy this version by Kristyn Getty, Vince Gill, Ellie Holcomb, and Sierra Hull.
Does “Softly and tenderly Jesus Is Calling” Quote Any Bible verses?
Sometimes, hymnbooks will reference a Scripture verse after the hymn’s title, which can have inspired the hymn or communicated an analogous theme.
Many hymnbooks pair Mark 10:40 with “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling.” The King James Bible that Thompson would have been aware of reads: “And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, be of excellent comfort, rise; he calleth thee.”
While it’s not clear how much Thompson deliberately sculpted his lyrics to suit Bible verses, several Bible verses use similar wording or express similar ideas.
Consider these verses as you read each stanza:
What Does it Mean to Answer the Call?
Scripture uses the word “call” in various ways. For example, in Genesis 4:26, the word is used with the primary mention of prayer, “people began to call upon the name of the Lord.”
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology notes that calling on God’s name is an act of worship. Then, there’s one other call that God makes to us. For example, God called Abraham to go away his country because Abraham could be the daddy of the nation of Israel. God’s calling pertains to how He works and fulfills His plans through individuals.
In the New Testament, to reply the decision means to return to faith in Christ (John 14:6; John 3:16). An individual is named out of darkness (sin) into His marvelous light (see 1 Peter 2:9). Then through discipleship, a Believer learns there’s a “calling” to live a lifetime of godliness (2 Peter 1:3) and holiness (1 Peter 1:15-17).
When we turn into followers of Christ, we study one other form of calling. We have spiritual gifts to make use of for God’s glory in our homes, the church, and the marketplace. We can have a calling right into a ministry, like missionary work or evangelism.
Sometimes, God calls individuals into something more specific. For example, some missionaries receive a calling to serve in a specific area. Others have a calling to start out a particular ministry or mission organization.
How can we know our calling? Since God places it in your hearts, we must listen for what he places there. What does he give us a passion for? Then we search for whether he confirms it—through His Word, people, and circumstances. From there, he’ll equip and empower us to meet that calling.
What Can We Learn from ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” Today?
The concept of being called from an old life to a recent one appears throughout the 4 gospels.
Perhaps probably the greatest examples is in Luke 19:1-10. Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, desired to see Jesus as he passed through Jericho. However, due to Zacchaeus’s short stature, he climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.
Jesus walked by the tree, looked up, and called out to Zacchaeus. Jesus told him to return down immediately, for He was going to Zacchaeus’ house. Zacchaeus obeyed. Because of his encounter with Jesus, he willingly declared he would give half of his possessions to people experiencing poverty and that those he had cheated on could be paid back 4 times the quantity.
His outward actions showed a fantastic inward change that we are able to learn from today. “Jesus is asking, O sinner, come home,” and Zacchaeus did. Jesus is asking every individual to repent, trust, and follow Him. “For the Son of Man got here to hunt and to avoid wasting the lost.”
Is it any wonder that D. L. Moody and Ira D. Sanky used this hymn extensively of their evangelistic meetings throughout Great Britain and the United States? The lyrics point the option to Christ.
Take a moment to reread the lyrics. What words or phrases stand out to you?
Dear reader, softly and tenderly, Jesus is asking. Have you answered His call?
Photo Credit:©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Boonyachoat
Laura Lee Leathers is a author and speaker. Imagine Lois Lane, over sixty-five, and living on a farm. Her metropolis is the realm of freelance writing. Her primary love interest is the Word of God. She digs for information, interviews fascinating people, offers a cup of biblical hospitalit-tea, encourages, and helps others with the ‘how-to’s’ of life. To join for her newsletter, connect together with her at http://lauraleeleathers.com – – – “Helping You Flourish in Faith & Finish Well by His Word”
