It’s Beginning To Rain

© Copyright 2013 PJ Stassen

All Rights Reserved

If I were to begin life again, I would devote it to music.  It is the only cheap and unpunished rapture upon earth.

-          Sydney Smith, 1771-1845. 

   This song, when sung as a solo, at first ‘glance’appears to have one of those typically modest and deceitfully unassuming personalities in the vast population of gospel songs in the world, but grows on you as time and melody-line move gently along.  It has the ‘comportment’ of a romantic ballad with charming lyrics to match, especially the first verse … no wonder Bill Gaither (with wife Gloria) were in 2000 elected by the American Society of Composers and Publishers’ (ASCAP) for the Christian ‘Songwriter of the Century’ award.  Bill and Gloria Gaither are prolific songwriters, who, according to Wikipedia, have at least 700 songs to their credit.  This song, however, was written in collaboration with C. Aaron Wilburn, also a prolific songwriter in his own right, and the reader is encouraged to visit his official website for more information (See Bibliography).

    The first time that I heard this song was during a Church Convention at Beulah Park in Johannesburg (South Africa) about 27 years ago, during the eighties.  No one could have guessed the exhilaration with which the vast cloud of believers eventually took hold of and were singing the chorus-part of the song … at the brisk, Viennese-waltz pace of about 180 beats per minute, instead of a 6/8 beat or the usual slower (‘English waltz’) pace.  Congregational singing, even with the same song, usually demands a different approach than a solo performance on stage, and that night the song leader and band surely must have found the formula ... it was ‘open sesame’ all the way to glory.  

   I was late for the service and was approaching the huge tabernacle from the cafeteria when this thunderous explosion of joy and exuberance came spilling through the doors and windows of the auditorium, a (minute) sample of what Heaven surely must be like.  With the vogue of so many songs, including so many of the contemporary praise and worship choruses, being written and sung in 6/8 beats these days, what a refreshing sound of a zesty, ‘Viennese’ ¾ rhythm and pace, especially as sung by between 3000 and 4000 exultant people.  It makes one just want to (face-to-face) meet the unique Creator who, by divine decree, could make such lovely melodies and lyrics, such charming music, cosmically possible and available for all to enjoy. 

YouTube 

It’s Beginning To Rain

(© Copyright William & Gloria Gaither with C. Aaron Wilburn)

The turtle dove is singing the sweet song of morning,

The leaves on the trees turn their silver cups to the sky;

The silent clouds up above are beginning to gather,

The barren land is so thirsty and so am I.

A young man’s eyes start to shine as he tells of his vision,

And the old understand what he sees, for they’ve dreamed their dreams;

With the thrill of being alive they reach for each other,

And they dance in the rain for the joy of the things they have seen.

At the first drop of rain that you feel, throw open the windows,

Then call all the children together, throw wide the door;

When the rains of the Spirit are falling, fill every vessel,

For he who drinks his fill will thirst no more.

CHORUS:       It’s beginning to rain hear the voice of the Father,

Saying, “Whosoever will, come drink of my water;

I promise to pour my Spirit out on your sons and your daughters.

If you’re thirsty and dry, look up to the sky, it’s beginning to rain.”

Piet Stassen

eLiterature/eLiteratuur:

1. Scribd Publishing Site:  www.scribd.com/PietStassen (ENGLISH & AFRIKAANS)
2. eBook: 'Evolution: The Science That Evolved Into A Fairy Tale' (ENGLISH)  
3. eBook:  'Bertrand Russell Revisited: Rebuttal Of Bertrand Russell's 'Why I Am Not A Christian''(ENGLISH)
4. eBook: 'Meditations & Contemplations: A Reader For Both Atheists And Creationists' (ENGLISH)
5. eBook: 'Conservation, Rhino Poaching And Hypocrisy' (ENGLISH)
6. eBook: 'Why Darwinism ('Evolution') Does Not Make Sense' (ENGLISH)
7. eBook: 'Names And Titles Of Jesus Of Nazareth (ENGLISH)'
8. eBoek:  'Darwin Of Christus: Suid-Afrikaners By 'n Kruispad!' [AFRIKAANS].
9. eBoek:  'Bevryding Van Die Anti-Evangelie Van Ateisme-Evolusionisme' [AFRIKAANS].
10. eBoek:  'Name & Titels Van Jesus Christus' [AFRIKAANS].
11. eTracts, Christian (Free, Downloadable):  Free, downloadable Christian eTracts for free distribution (ENGLISH)
12. eTraktate, Christelik (Gratis, Aflaaibaar): Gratis, aflaaibabre Christelike Traktate vir gratis verspreiding (AFRIKAANS)

Bibliography

1.  Andrews, Allen (1969) Quotations For Speakers And Writers. Newnes Books. London.
2.  TheAugustaChronicle. ‘C. Aaron Wilburn’. Accessed At <http://chronicle.augusta.com/things-do/applause/2012-09-07/singer-songwriter-aaron-wilburn-returning-bethesda-baptist> [online] 2013.

3.  C. Aaron Wilburn (Official Website): http://www.aaronwilburn.com/