When the Morning Comes

Happy Monday morning, everyone!

My friends Geoff Fawcett (writer of Hallelujah, Be Strong, O Rock of Ages) and Sherwin Mackintosh (Men Who Dream, I Hear God Singing to Me, Upside Down the musical) formed a company a few years ago for the purpose of compiling and distributing new music written by members of our churches for use in congregational singing. One of my favorite new songs that has come out of the project is one Geoff wrote called When the Morning Comes.

sunrise at my prayer spot

I love that metaphor – “when the morning comes”. Why did God create us to have mornings? Right there in the beginning of creation, “there was evening, and there was morning”. [And by the way, why do we spend a third of our life sleeping? Couldn’t God have created us to not need sleep? I read an interesting article in Newsweek recently about what your brain does while you are sleeping. I plan to write more about that later, particularly to how it relates to songwriting.] Aside from physical needs of our body, I think God knew we need fresh starts, and lots of them. God knew we needed mornings. And the ultimate new beginning, of course, will be some day in heaven, “when the morning comes” as Geoff’s song helps us to remember. I love the words of this song:

When the morning comes I will be flying with the angels
“Free at last!” I’ll cry as o’er the mountain tops we sail
Tears of joy will flow as I hear music from the heavens
‘Cross the bridge and see the Lord when the morning comes

When the morning comes I’ll hear the thunder in the valley
Calling me to rise and join Him in the banquet hall
Laughing with the Kin our earthly pains all fade from mem’ry
Night is past and life has dawned when the morning comes

When the morning comes the shining train is in the station
Ringing “all aboard” we wave goodbye and pull away
All my worldly things I leave them sitting on the platform
No more need for dust and gold when the morning comes

When the morning comes I’ll sail across the crystal ocean
Saints from ev’ry age will greet me on the gilded shore
There in fields of gold, the Lord is dancing with His children
No more tears, we’re home to stay when the morning comes

You can get the sheet music for this new hymn by clicking here

Here is a recording of my interpretation. I’ve added my own little guitar riff for the beginning and in between verses.

When the Morning Comes – Geoff Fawcett
https://jbriancraig.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/when-the-morning-comes.mp3″

Here is also the old hymn of the same name (often also referred to by the first line, “Trials Dark”). This fun version appeared towards the end of my 2005 worship album, “Be with Me Lord”.

When the Morning Comes (Trials Dark)
https://jbriancraig.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/18-when-the-morning-comes.mp3″

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