Hello, this is pastor gary from first baptist church of laplata. Today’s “Throwback Thursday” is from Saturday, October 2, 2020. One of our most beloved hymns is “How Great Thou Art,” but do you realize that, unlike other classic hymns, “How Great Thou Art” has only been in the church’s repertoire since the late 1950’s? While the Swedish poem that provided the basis for the hymn was written in 1885, it would be another 72 years before it was picked up by George Beverly Shea and performed on television during the Billy Graham Crusades. Second only to “Amazing Grace” in popularity, “How Great Thou Art” came to its present form by means of Sweden, Ukraine, India, and a singing cowboy. Imagine going to church your whole life and never singing—let alone hearing—“How Great Thou Art.” The original poem, titled, “O Mighty God,” was written after Carl Boberg got caught in a raging thunderstorm, ran home, and was struck by the calm and cleared skies afterwards. This experience gave rise to the verse, “I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the Universe displayed.” God knew the storm would inspire Boberg’s poem, and God guided the poem through the hands of missionaries, choirs, Billy Graham, and finally to The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, whose Grammy-winning 1967 and 1974 recordings spread the song around the world. The hymn is great, but even greater is the God Whom the hymn praises. Indeed, how great Thou art!
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