The Wonderful Day (No. 89) was composed by Woodie W. Smith (words) and Lulu E. English (music), and copyrighted 1921 in Gospel Light: for the Church, Sunday-School, the Revival, Young People’s Meetings, Children’s Services, Conventions and the Home, by Woodie W. Smith and Joe English.
Woodie Washington Smith was a fairly prominent Baptist pastor and evangelist in his day. He also wrote many songs, both words and/or music. Smith was born August 5, 1877 in Clay County, Alabama, the son of Uriah Dekalb Smith and Sarah Frances Royster. His testimony is that he was converted at Lineville Baptist Church when he was eight years old, but he was so small the church did not receive him because they thought he did not understand what he was doing. Later (in 1895) he joined the Baptist Church at Mart, Texas upon that profession of faith.
Smith was active in singing and church music from about that time. He studied at the Allen-Bridges Normal School in 1896, and later graduated from the Southern Development Normal (S.D.N) School of Music (which was founded in Waco, Texas by Franklin Lycurgus Eiland, and others).[i] Woodie Smith felt the call to preach in 1898, during a sermon by J. M. Frost at the Baptist General Convention of Texas held in Waco – but he did not surrender to the call until several years afterward. He enrolled in Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth in 1912. He pastored the First Baptist Church in Rosenberg, Texas for three years, then entered into evangelistic work with Joseph Willis “Joe W.” English.
Woodie W. Smith married Ada Elizabeth Bates in 1899, and they had seven children. After her death, he married Eva J. Ritter of Baxter Springs, Kansas, widow of Norton Elijah Ritter. Woodie W. Smith died July 3, 1958 in Tulsa, Ollahoma. He and Ada are buried at Laurel Land - Rose Hill Memorial Park at Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas.
That the Lord in his glory shall come;
All the saints shall arise and ascend to the skies,
Evermore to be with him at home.
2. As I think of that day, I can joyfully say,
Blessed Savior, I’m ready to go;
For I’m trusting his grace, and shall look on his face,
Oh, what rapture, my Savior to know.
3. Earthly joy shall recede with its pomp and its greed,
When the light of his glory I see;
I will fall at his feet, and the story repeat,
Jesus’ blood made atonement for me.
4. Oh, that wonderful day! oh, the rapture for aye!
Oh, the marvelous love of the King!
How I long to be there, his communion to share,
And his praises forever to sing.
Chorus:
He’s coming some day, He’s coming some day,
Oh, what will it mean to you?
Shall you welcome that day, share his glory for aye,
Fellow trav’ler, oh, what will you do?
It is uncertain who is Lulu E. English, the composer of the music. It is possible “Lulu” might have been a nickname of Joe English’s mother, Louiza Elizabeth Watts English, or his daughter Louise.
.jpg)
Indian Citizen, Thursday, November 8, 1917, p. 1
Indian Citizen, Thursday, November 8, 1917, p. 1
[i] Specifics about the Allen-Bridges School are unknown. Smith came to Mart, Texas in 1895, and studied at that school in 1896. It was likely located in the Mart area – possibly in Waco. The Southern Development Normal (S.D.N) School of Music, which Smith also attended, was organized in Waco, Texas by F. L. Eiland. It might be possible that “Allen” should be “Eiland” instead. Whether or not that could be, no “Eiland-Bridges School” has turned up either.
No comments:
Post a Comment