C B Widmeyer – birth, Jul. 19, 1884

When the toils of life are over,
And we lay our armor down,
And we bid farewell to earth with all its cares,
We shall meet and greet our loved ones,
And our Christ we then shall crown,
In the new Jerusalem.

Refrain

There’ll be singing, there’ll be shouting
When the saints come marching home,
In Jerusalem, in Jerusalem,
Waving palms with loud hosannas
As the King shall take His throne,
In the new Jerusalem.

2. Though the way is sometimes lonely,
He will hold me with His hand,
Through the testings and the trials I must go.
But I’ll trust and gladly follow,
For sometime I’ll understand,
In the new Jerusalem.

3. When the last goodbye is spoken
And the tear stains wiped away,
And our eyes shall catch a glimpse of glory fair,
Then with bounding hearts we’ll meet Him
Who hath washed our sins away,
In the new Jerusalem.

4. When we join the ransomed army
In the summer land above,
And the face of our dear Savior we behold,
We will sing and shout forever,
And we’ll grow in perfect love,
In the new Jerusalem.

C B (Charles Brenton) Widmeyer was born this date, 7/19/1884 at Morgan, WV. 

He attended God’s Bible School (Cincinnati, OH), was Pre­sident of Point Lo­ma Na­za­rene Un­i­versity (CA), and later was chair­man of the Na­za­rene De­part­ment of Min­is­ter­i­al Re­lief (1923-48).  He also wrote the words and music to “Come and Dine.”  

Wid­mey­er died De­cem­ber 14, 1974, at Los An­ge­les, Cal­i­for­nia.

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Duncan Campbell – birth, Feb. 13, 1898

“We are the ambassadors of eternity in the courts of time, and it is our business to permeate the courts of time with the atmosphere of eternity.”

                Andrew Woolsey, Duncan Campbell, (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1974), 64.

 

“Desire for revival is one thing; confident anticipation that our desires will be fulfilled is another.”

                Andrew Woolsey, Duncan Campbell, (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1974), 113.

 

“Preach the Word!  Sing the Word!  Live the Word!  Anything outside of this has no sanction in heaven.”  [ Campbell’s biographer added right here – Religious movies and plays which involved dramatizing spiritual truth, and particularly the work of the Holy Spirit, were blasphemy to him. ]  

                Andrew Woolsey, Duncan Campbell, (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1974), 152.

 

“Revival must ever be related to holiness, true revival is a revival of holiness”

                Andrew Woolsey, Duncan Campbell, (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1974), 164.

 

Duncan Campbell was born this date in Scotland.  I had the privilege of hearing him speak but once and that very near the end of his holy life.

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Thirty – One

I’ve known the joy that only a boy                    

Could feel – the swing of a vine. ^[1]

That’s entwined in a tree, for lads like me

To discover and enjoy. (Age?  Nine.)

 

I’ve felt the soft nose of a horse at repose,

And jumped o’er the hindquarters bare. [2]

And ridden baby cows or even some sows, ^[3]

When the farmer or owner wasn’t there.

 

I’ve enjoyed the snow fall; drifts fences tall,

And the resulting thrill – no bus! ^[4]

Sat with my feet on the oven door for heat,

That coal stove with ashes and fuss. ^[5]

 

I’ve ridden through a bridge o’er the blue ^[6]

That was covered and painted red.

Or walked or ran the bare-planked span;

That inside looked like a shed.

 

Ah, and, I’ve felt the pain of a leaving train,

When my lover was inside. ^[7]

And watched the last light till out of sight,

Then turned on my heel and cried.

 

I’ve stood still and wet on the date set,

Waiting for that girl in white.

Perspiring that season, for more than one reason,

On the year’s last, hot, June night. ^[8]

 

I’ve relished the smell of fall as it fell,

Time after burning-leaf time,

And drank cider sweet; it was hard to beat

Soft, amber, pure, sublime.

 

I’ve been privileged to hold the tiny mold

From which God makes a man.

And knew that his name and mine were the same;

Twenty-one years the span. ^[9]

 

I’ve known what it means to have little but beans

And then miss a bean with a dip.

To have cookies is nice – but because of the price

A cookie without a chocolate chip. [10]

 

I’ve walked the drifting miles; mid frowns & now smiles

Of students on Saturday hikes. ^[11]

Or joined them near nine, asphalt roads to entwine

On our trusty, but soon tiring bikes. ^[12]

 

I’ve been privileged to be three years near the sea.

O!  The smell of salt in the air!

See it calm or forlorn or white-cappy in storm,

Return with it still in my hair.

 

I’ve walked up with pain the inclined plain

Of a mountain’s bristly backbone.

Provisions in pack on my back,

Miles and hours from a phone. ^[13]

 

I’ve met and do know some of Christ’s best below

Saints, yes, saints above sod.

Who’ve worked in love, His power to prove,

Before they go home to God.

 

That’s not all I’ve had as a boy or a dad

There are, I’m sure, many more

In thirty one years, many joys, a few tears,

Since birth to seventy-four.       -eab,  2/10/74

 

^[1] Off the edge of one of Uncle Wallace and Aunt Em’s fields on the farm off Stage Coach road (parallel with US 22.)

[2] At Mark Ricketts house, my school mate 1952-1957

^[3] At Mark Rickett’s to which I’d walk (3-4 miles) to play.

^[4] Drifts were from fencepost top to fencepost top in 1950.

^[5] Stove also had reservoir for heating water on side.

^[6] Was the first kid on and last one off so passed through covered bridge four times a day for most of five years (over 3500 passes).

^[7] Union Terminal about 1960, Cincinnati, watching my sweet Martha head home for the summer. Took her there in a taxi.

^[8] The church was not air conditioned on June 30, 1961.

^[9] Andrew (also called “Charlie Brown”) It was not my idea to name him after me but since Martha wanted that, made him E. Andrew.

[10] Not complaining but times were slim back then.

^[11] Hobe high school biology students and I would hike Jupiter Island from the end of the road to the island’s end (approximately 10 miles) specimens they found were theirs – fun belonged to all of us!

^[12] Biology kids on bike hikes in Jonathan Dickinson Park. 

^[13] Hiked the entire AT (Appalachian Trail) through the Smokies but this particular memory is when Carson, Dan, Andrew, and I ascending Thunderhead on a Christmas vacation trip. 

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