The Legacy

Years ago, when my Grandma Vawser visited us in Michigan, I remember that she was so eager to worship with us at the Friends Church in Traverse City.  And, afterwards, she raved about the hymnal that was used there, the All-American Church Hymnal, because it contained so many hymns that she had known and loved her entire life.  It was always very difficult for Bill and me to decide what to get our grandparents for Christmas, so we were thrilled to order a copy of that hymnal for her from our local Christian bookstore, and mail it to her for Christmas.  It probably cost only two or three dollars, and postage was only a dollar or two then, so we certainly didn't spend much.  But we were happy to make her happy.

I didn't realize what an impact that gift had made until after Grandma died many years later.  When her belongings were divided among her numerous children and grandchildren, that hymnal made its way back to me.  It was immediately apparent that she had used that hymnal nearly every day, because she had written on every page.

Shortly before my Grandpa died at a relatively young age, Grandma had decided to learn to play the electric organ. She purchased her first organ from a son-in-law who sold them, took a few basic lessons, and practiced daily.  Every few years, she traded in her organ on a newer and bigger model.  I remember gathering around the organ with my cousins, the evening after Grandpa's funeral, singing along as Grandma played several hymns on the organ.  For the next twenty years or so, she played that organ nearly every day, becoming more and more proficient as time went on.  And, I have proof that she played every one of the 408 hymns in the hymnal we gave her, because she wrote in the foot pedal notation for absolutely every hymn.

The other day, I pulled that hymnal off the top of Bill's old electric organ to look up the music for "Victory in Jesus."  It was there, of course, on page 116, complete with Grandma's notes.  And, the funny thing is, those organ notations work equally well as guitar chords.  So, I sat down with my guitar to play "Victory in Jesus," using Grandma's notes as my chord chart.  I was pleased to find that the key was pitched perfectly for me to sing the melody an octave lower than the original high-pitched melody.  Then, when I decided to try a few other hymns, I found that virtually all of them were easy for me to play and sing, just because of Grandma's hard work so long ago.  What a legacy!

It isn't easy to add pedal notations (or guitar chords) to old hymns.  Grandma must have spent hours working though that hymnal, learning to play each hymn, singing along, and painstakingly working out which organ pedal to play at the proper time.  She wrote accurately in ink, with no erasures or cross-outs.  I'm positive that Grandma didn't realize what a gift she was leaving for me.  She was simply creating the tool she needed to praise God through her music.  And now, I can use her hymnal to do the same.

I googled the All American Church Hymnal to see when it was published--1957.  Amazingly, copies are still available to purchase on-line.  It is advertised as "an inspiring book of hymns and contemporary songs, practical and resourceful for use in all phases of religious services for churches, Sunday Schools, and homes."  I don't consider it to be contemporary, by any means, since the newest songs were written in the 1940s and 1950s, before I was born.  Many of the hymns are totally unfamiliar to me, perhaps because they are 100 years old, or even older, or maybe because they were not used in the Lutheran churches where I grew up.  But the hymnal contains many hymns that will never grow old, because their message is timeless.  I love to play and sing contemporary Christian music, but I will always treasure the old hymns that tell the old story so well.

My grandma's hymnal has provided an unexpected treasure for me, but she left me an even greater legacy.  Grandma's faith in Jesus as her Savior was clear for all of us to see.  And that kind of role model is priceless.