Sermons from Our Favorite Songs: “A Poor Wayfaring Stranger”

Sermons from Our Favorite Songs:
“A Poor Wayfaring Stranger”

INTRODUCTION:
March 17, 1971, I was born in St. Louis, MO. My dad decided to preach when I was five years old so we moved to Montgomery, AL where dad finished his bachelor’s degree. We stayed there 1 year and then moved to Williston, FL while dad earned his master’s degree in religious education. We were in FL for only 1 year when we moved to Bayou La Batre, AL. We lived there for 2 1/2 years and then moved to Hayesville, NC.

I loved living in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. After 2 1/2 years, we moved about 40 miles south, across the state line into GA. If you asked me what my “hometown” was, I would say Hiawassee, GA. I was there from 7th grade into September of my 11th grade year. So, 4 1/2 years in GA and then to Roxboro, NC where I attended my junior and senior year of high school. While in NC, I mowed yards for money and I worked in a retail store named Roses and had very few, very few friends.

If you weren’t keeping count, from the time I was born until I graduated from high school, I lived in seven cities, five states. Houses…? My parents moved into a brand new house the day my mom went to the hospital to deliver me. From that point, until I graduated from high school, my family had lived in ten different houses - 10 houses in 18 years! When I left home to go to Faulkner to college, my parents moved while I was away. But I found them!

Anyway, I was at Faulkner for three years, graduated and then went to Freed-Hardeman. I lived on campus one semester and then moved into an apartment to share with a friend. In the summer of ’94, Rachel and I met and married in the summer, August, of ’95 and we lived in a small apartment, a garage that one of the FHU professors had turned into an apartment. In October, I was hired as an associate minister at a local congregation which had a small, two bedroom cottage for their associate ministers, all of whom were FHU students, and Rachel and I moved there until we graduated from FHU.

Then we moved to Livingston, TN. So, from the time Rachel and I got married, we have lived in TN (5 1/2 years; three houses), and then KY (1 1/2 years, two houses), Romania (7 1/2 years, two apartments), Montgomery, AL for an academic year while I was teaching as a missionary-in-residence, then Columbia, TN (five months) until we found a church to work with and then moved to Paris, KY (6 years) and then to Swartz Creek, MI and in April, we will have been here for five years, in one house.

If you weren’t keeping count, Rachel and I have lived in 11 houses or apartments in the 24 years we’ve been married. Wow! That’s moving, on average, almost every other year! I do not intend to move again. I do not intend to buy another house. In September of 2022, I will have lived in Michigan longer than I have any other state and I don’t intend to move again.

To summarize my life: 8 states, 21 houses in almost 48 years of life. Yes, sometimes I feel like a “poor wayfaring stranger!”

Some of you are very similar, at least in your childhood. Bill Maguffee was telling me earlier this past week how his family were sharecroppers and they moved a lot when he was young. I’ve told you all of this to emphasize how transient life can be. I don’t intend to move again but I’m also not naive and know that only God knows what the future holds.

Two years ago, my annual series of sermons was on “Sermons From our Favorite Songs.” I asked you to share with me your favorite songs and we examined the biblical theology behind those songs. You gave me more songs than I could handle in a year. So, here we are, taking a look at another one of your favorite songs this evening: “I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger.”

We do not know the author or the origin of this song. It is an old folk song, probably dating back to the 1800s, back when Americans themselves were scattering across the country, mainly moving out west. Because it is a folk song, there are many different variations and it has been voted as one of the top 100 Western songs.

It was Burl Ives’ signature song on an album he recorded in 1944, titled The Wayfaring Stranger and he titled his 1948 autobiography after the song. Many other artists have recorded the song over the years. Trace Adkins recorded his own arrangement for his 1997 album Big Time. Johnny Cash recorded the song in 2000. It has also been featured in several movies and TV shows.

Now, before we take a look at the lyrics and the theology behind the song, I want to ask you a question I asked several weeks ago: What do you enjoy doing more than anything else? With whom do you like to do it? Who do you like to be with more than anyone else?

I told you at that time, that one of my favorite places to be is by a campfire, reading a book, with Rachel beside me, getting ready to eat s’mores. Another favorite place to be and memory of mine is this…

Our dining room table, we’ve just eaten a nice big breakfast, of course, with Rachel’s homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs. bacon or sausage (I’m not particular), a bowl of buttered grits, OJ and coffee. And Jewell and Ana are there and, maybe we’re playing a game, or maybe we’re just sitting there sharing memories, laughing and talking. That’s where I would love to be at any given moment.

What do you enjoy doing more than anything else? With whom do you enjoy doing it?

Can we imagine, just imagine, that we would love being with Christ more than with our spouse or our friends? Can you imagine that? Can you imagine that the feeling and experience of heaven, in the presence of God, is greater and stronger than any positive, pleasant experiences you have here on earth? I believe that’s exactly how the Bible describes heaven and that’s the sentiment behind this song, whoever the author might have been…

VERSE 1 - WE’RE TRAVELING THROUGH A WORLD OF WOE:
“I am a poor, wayfaring stranger while traveling thru this world of woe. Yet there’s no sickness, toil nor danger, in that bright world to which I go. I’m going there to see my Father. I’m going there no more to roam. I’m only going over Jordan. I’m only going over home.’

First, let’s define “wayfaring:” It means to travel and really carries the connotation of traveling on foot. “I am a poor stranger, walking on foot, traveling thru this world of woe.”

Yes, the world is full of woes. We don’t need a sermon to remind us that life can be difficult at times, do we?

But the author is looking forward to a place where there is no sickness, no toil (work), no danger. A “bright” world, suggesting there is darkness here in this world. The author says that he is going to this bright new, perfect world “to see my Father.” The editors of this song book capitalized “Father,” suggesting the author was referring to God, the Father. That is true; we’re going to see God, the Father. No one has ever seen God! No one has ever seen the “Ancient of Days!” Moses was simply allowed to look at God’s “back side” as He walked away. But Jesus promises us that we’ll be able to see God: “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt 5:8).

But, if you notice the song, in verse 2, the writer says when he gets to his bright, new home, he’s going to see his “mother.” I suggest, then, that “Father” in verse 1 is not talking about God, the Father but our own physical fathers. I hope your mom and dad were Christians. I hope they were forgiven by the blood of Christ. Mine were. Both my parents were Christians my entire life. They were not perfect. No; they were not. But by the grace of God, I’ll see them again. My mom was 5’9, about Ana’s height; my dad was 5’2”. One day I’ll get to see Dad and say, “Dad, we got to see the Mackinaw bridge. We crossed the Mackinaw bridge.” One day, I hope to tell dad, “Dad, the Michigan Wolverines won a national championship while I was there.” Dad was always a Bo Schembechler fan when I was growing up. I probably heard Dad talk about Schembechler more than I heard him talk about Bear Bryant.

What will I tell Mom when I see her? Assuming that we have these types of conversations… I’ll tell Mom, “Mom, I wish you could have been there to see Ana grow up. Ana is just like you, Mom. She loves music. [My mom always had cassette tapes playing every morning in the kitchen when we woke up and when we ate breakfast.] Mom, Ana is laid back, just like you. Mom, everyone who knows Ana loves her, just like you. Mom, Ana has a quick wit, just like you. And, Mom, Ana loves to cook, just like you. And, Mom, Jewell loves to read just like you.” My mom was an avid and voracious reader.

Notice at the end of the song, the writer says, “I’m only going over Jordan. I’m only going over home.” The context of that statement, of course, is the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years. The book of Deuteronomy, especially the first four chapters, rehearses the 40 years of traveling the Israelites endured once they came out of Egypt. Much like how I did at the beginning of this lesson, Moses reminded the Israelites about all the places they had lived for 40 years! Only Moses, Joshua, and Caleb were the men of fighting age who lived that whole 40 years and saw all those different places.

So the Israelites were wandering through life, literally on foot, through a wilderness. There were times when they didn’t have anything to eat. There were times when they didn’t have anything to drink, no water. There were times that they had to fight for their lives, their safety. There were times when they saw their friends, parents, children, and others killed by God because of their sins. It was almost like our entire lives of 80 years condensed into 40 years.

The Hebrew writer in the NT (11:13) will write of these: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

The word “stranger” here is used 14x in the NT and it carries the idea of “alien.” Jesus used the word four times in Matt 25 when He challenges us to feed and clothe the stranger. Paul tells the Gentile Christians in Eph 2:12, 19 that they were strangers to the covenants of God before they were baptized into Jesus Christ. The word translated “exile” here is only used three times in the NT. An “exile” carries the connotation of someone who has been forcibly removed from their homeland, someone who is out of place. You and I are out of place here on earth. The Hebrew writer says that the world is not worthy of Christians (11:38). This is not our place; our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20-21). John (1 John 3:1) says that the world does not know us because the world does not know our Father. Yes, we are out of place here. We are looking for a better home.

What kept Israel moving forward? The promise of God that once they arrived in the Promised Land, it would be a land full of blessings, with God’s presence as the source of those blessings, and land full of milk and honey. In Deut 28, Moses details many blessings Israel would enjoy once they arrived in the Promised Land.

VERSE 2 - GOD’S REDEEMED SHALL EVER SLEEP:
Verse 2: “I know dark clouds will gather round me, I know my way is rough and steep; But golden fields lie out before me Where God’s redeemed shall ever sleep. I’m going there to see my mother, She said she’d meet me when I come; I’m only going over Jordan. I’m only going over home.”

Again, the author reflects on how difficult life can be sometimes: dark clouds. A rough and steep path to climb. But, reflecting an agrarian culture, the author anticipates golden fields. Golden fields where “God’s redeemed shall ever sleep.”

Did you ever lie in the grass when you were a child? Did you ever fall asleep lying in the grass? How about walking barefooted in the grass? One of my favorite childhood memories was walking through mud holes barefooted and squishing the mud between my toes.

The imagery we have here, sleeping in the golden fields, is an image of peaceful rest. Undisturbed rest. No obligations. No alarm clock. No deadlines. No expectations to meet.

In Revelation 14:13, an angel of God tells John the apostle to write: “‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ”“Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

Rest. You might not be able to rest now. Some of you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep because of pain in your body. Every time you roll over, you wake up. Some of you have sleep apnea. There’s lots of problems that follow if you don’t get a good nights’ rest. We need sleep; we need rest. And we will get rest, one day - those who are God’s “redeemed.”

We’ll rest from temptations. We’ll rest from sin. We’ll rest from all the negative stuff we see and experience in life around us. There’ll be none of that in heaven, in the presence of God.

VERSE 3 - WE’LL ENTER OUR GREAT REWARD:
Note the sentiments of verse 3: “I’ll soon be free from every trial. My body sleep in the church yard; I’ll drop the cross of self-denial and enter on my great reward. I’m going there to see my Savior, To sing His praise forevermore. I’m only going over Jordan. I’m only going over home.”

Let’s begin with the concept of “self-denial.” With Jesus’ disciples arguing over who was the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus took a child and set the boy in the middle of the proud men and said, “Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:1-4).

In Matt 19:30, Jesus said, “Many who are first will be last; and the last first.”

In Matt 20:16, Jesus said, “the last shall be first, and the first last.”

In Mark 9:35, Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

In Luke 13:30, Jesus said, “Some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.”

In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

Yes, Jesus calls us to pick up the cross of “self-denial” but it’s not a one-time action. Jesus says it is daily. We must daily deny ourselves and follow Jesus Christ, making the decisions in our lives that Jesus would have us to make. We may not always like the immediate consequence of humility but we will certainly like the final reward for humility. In the words of the song, we’ll be able to put down the “cross of self-denial.” That doesn’t mean we will quit being humble in heaven, it means there will be no more temptations to our humility in heaven. Isn’t that a great thought? The greatest challenge we have is to continually submit our wills to other people. But the greatest reward for this greatest challenge is none other than life in heaven.

We’ll be able to drop that cross of self-denial and receive our reward for faithfulness to Jesus Christ. We’ll get to see Him too. There’s not a Bible verse for this but I suspect we’ll be able to see the nail prints in Jesus’ hands. We’ll be able to see the visible expression of love and dedication to us in Jesus Himself. And, I’m also confident that just that one glimpse of Jesus in glory will repay all the toils we’ve experienced in this life. And we’ll sing praises to Jesus forevermore.

Our voice will be on key. Our voices will not wear out. Dana can lead the songs as fast as he wants because our lung capacity will be inexhaustible. We’ll hear Faron singing and Faron will hear us singing.

One day. In the presence of God. In heaven. But, until then, we are poor wayfaring strangers, traveling thru this world of woe.

Take home message: Live daily in the shadow of God’s promise to take us home.