“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1
I was telling Mellie about this preacher yesterday and the song I knew about him. It got me thinking that I am so grateful we don’t have to wait for a month or more at a time to hear God’s Word.
The prairies are vast and back between the 1780’s to the 1830’s when they were being settled there was not a church on every corner like today.
This is when circuit-riding preachers came about. They would travel from place to place, in an area assigned to them, preaching to the people. Sometimes it would be a month before he’d be back at the same place. The people would make a day of it as they gathered to hear God’s Word and fellowship together.
They were hungry for this preaching and would be excited and willing to listen to many long sermons on this day.
The life of a circuit-riding preacher was hard. As the song below suggests with his gun nearby and only a horse for a companion, he would travel across the country alone. He would have a new place to sleep each night and would be doing his best to counsel, encourage and preach the Word to different people each night.
I’m sure they were all grateful to him for coming when he could to preach to them. Nowadays we often can ride less than 10 minutes to our church and are there no more than a couple of hours at a time. I am grateful for pastors willing to sacrifice time, health and their needs to feed the flock!
The circuit-riding preacher,
Used to ride across the land.
With a rifle on his shoulder,
And a Bible in his hand.
He told the prairie people
All about the promised land.
As he went riding, singing down the trail.
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
He preached of coming judgment
And of fire and brimstone.
Of a glorious, endless heaven
And of justified alone.
As he rode across the mountains
You could hear him sing this song.
As he went riding, singing down the trail.
There is power, power,
Wonder working power.
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power,
Wonder working power.
In the precious blood of the Lamb.