Beyond the sunset, O blissful morning,
When with our Savior, heaven is begun;
Earth’s toiling ended, O glorious dawning,
Beyond the sunset when day is done.
Beyond the sunset, no clouds will gather,
No storms will threaten, no fears annoy;
O day of gladness, O day unending,
Beyond the sunset eternal joy!
Beyond the sunset, a hand will guide me
To God the Father whom I adore;
His glorious presence, His words of welcome,
Will be my portion on that fair shore.
Beyond the sunset, O glad reunion,
With our dear loved ones who’ve gone before;
In that fair homeland we’ll know no parting,
Beyond the sunset forever more!
Virgil Prentiss Brock – Lyrics 1887-1978
Born: January 6, 1887, Mercer County, Ohio.
Buried: Warsaw, Indiana.
Blanche Kerr Brock – Composer 1888-1958
Born: February 3, 1888, Greens Fork, Indiana.
Died: January 3, 1958, Winona Lake, Indiana.
Buried: Warsaw, Indiana.
One of the best-known and widely-used songs in the entire field of gospel hymnody is “Beyond the Sunset.” Mr. Brock has left the following account of its writing:
This song was born during a conversation at the dinner table, one evening in 1936, after watching a very unusual sunset at Winona Lake Indiana, with a blind guest—my cousin Horace Burr—and his wife Grace. A large area of the water appeared ablaze with the glory of God, yet there were threatening storm clouds gathering overhead. Returning to our home, we went to the dinner table still talking about the impressive spectacle we had witnessed. Our blind guest excitedly remarked the he had never seen a more beautiful sunset.
“People are always amazed when you talk about seeing,” I told him, “I can see,” Horace replied. “I see through other peoples eyes, and think I often see more; I see beyond the sunset.”
The phrase “beyond the sunset” and the striking inflection of his voice struck me so forcibly, I began singing the first few measures. “That’s beautiful!” his wife interrupted, “Please go to the piano and sing it.
We went to the piano nearby and completed the first verse. “You should have a verse about the storm clouds,” our guest urged, and the words for this verse came quickly as well. Recalling how closely our guest had walked hand in hand together for so many years due to his blindness, the third verse was soon added. Before the evening meal was finished, all four stanzas had been written and we sang the entire song together.
http://www.hymnalaccompanist.com/Story/story-c865.html
Revelation 21:4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
sage
p.s. This post is dedicated to my husband for our 33rd anniversary.
The Vine Vigil 