Under His Wings and Revivals

What’s up, everyone? 

Sunday, our congregation sang the hymn Under His Wings during worship as we prepared to read and hear from Psalm 91. Many in our congregation know this beautiful old hymn as #188 from the old Bible Songs songbook, compiled in December 1930 by the Executive Board of the General Synod. Its purpose was to enable the Church to sing “the songs of inspiration in the best possible metrical and musical renderings.” The songs of inspiration are the psalms, for they are the songs God inspired through His Holy Spirit that His people have sung in worship from King David’s day onward. 

Under His Wings was written by Ira D Sankey in the late 19th century. Sankey was born in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania on August 28, 1840. He came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ when he was 19 at a revival meeting. After a stint in the Union Army during the War Between the States, he worked for the Internal Revenue Service and led the choir in his local congregation. By 1870, he was president of his local YMCA, which allowed him to attend the YMCA’s national conference that year. There he met famed evangelist Dwight L. Moody, who convinced Sankey to leave his government job to join him for his evangelistic crusades. From 1872 until he died in 1908, he committed himself to the cause of Christ and the evangelization of the lost. 

Until I realized that Sankey authored Under His Wings, I thought it was odd that I sang the hymn in the Church I attended before moving to Pisgah ARP Church at age 11. I also thought it was strange that it was one of my grandmother’s favorite hymns because she was a “died in the wool” Baptist and a lifelong member of Unity Baptist Church. There was no standing tradition of singing the psalms in her congregation. But, it makes sense given that Ira Sankey wrote the hymn’s words upon his reflection on Psalm 91. His goal was to compose, sing, and popularize music that connected with the congregation, capturing their hearts and empowering their voices. He wanted the people to enjoy singing the hymns of praise to the Lord. One historian wrote that “Sankey chose hymns with accessible tunes that were easy to learn and insisted that the accompanying music be played softly, to emphasize the message of the words.” I think he achieved his goal with Under His Wings. Don’t you?

Stories like this one always buoy my spirit as they illustrate the providence and the grace of God at work in the history of His Church. We still sing this wonderful rendition of Psalm 91 some 130 years after Sankey wrote it. The God under whose wings Sankey found refuge is the same God under whose wings we find shleter. The Psalm’s original singers found their shelter there as well. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He works through His Church and we are blessed to inherit her legacy. May we embrace our heritage in the Lord. 

Have a great day!