Scripture Verse

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1

Introduction

Words: F. E. Blan­chard, 1921.

Music: Hal­dor Lil­le­nas (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Blanchard’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Haldor Lillenas (1885–1959)

Lyrics

There’s a dear lit­tle church in the vil­lage,
Near the spot where I first saw the day;
Where in child­hood I learned of the Sav­ior,
As the Life, and the Truth, and the Way.

Refrain

O come to the church in the vil­lage,
O come while the bells sweet­ly chime,
O come from the hills and the val­leys,
And list to the Gos­pel sub­lime;
O come to the church in the vil­lage,
O come while the bells sweet­ly chime,
O come to the church in the vil­lage,
Seek God, while still there is time.

There it stands, when the bright sun is shin­ing,
Where the broad, spread­ing trees cast their shade,
Then at eve, when the sun has des­cend­ed,
See it stand in the twi­light ar­rayed.

Refrain

Then the light, shin­ing thro’ stain­èd win­dows
Sifting out, shim­mers into the night,
Giving all that it touch­es new beau­ty,
And dis­pell­ing the dark­ness with light.

Refrain

Thus the dark­ness and blind­ness that bound me
Were re­moved in that dear, sac­red place,
And no mat­ter how far I may wan­der,
’Twill be dear till the end of my race.

Refrain