Gospel Greats -- 'I Serve a Risen Savior' Quiz

Answer: today

The missing word is 'today'.

'I Serve a Risen Savior', also known as 'He Lives', was written by Alfred Henry Ackley in 1933. Ackley was born January 21, 1887, in Spring Hill, Pennsylvania, and died July 3, 1960, in Los Angeles.

Answer: say

The missing word is 'say'.

Hymnary.org credits Alfred Henry Ackley with writing 1,500 hymns over the years, but his most popular is 'I Serve a Risen Savior', also known as 'He Lives'. The Website states the old-time hymn has been published in 122 hymn books over the years.

Answer: cheer

The missing word is 'cheer'.

Alfred Henry Ackley was the youngest son of Stanley Frank Ackley and the younger brother of Bentley DeForest Ackley, a musician and composer of Gospel hymns. In 1907, Bentley DeForest joined the noted Billy Sunday and Homer Rodeheaver evangelist team as secretary-pianist and traveled with them for eight years, Wikipedia reports. The Website states the older brother wrote more than 3,000 Gospel tunes and served as a composer and editor with the Rodeheaver Company.

Answer: near

The missing word is 'near'.

Alfred Henry Ackley, writer of 'I Serve a Risen Savior', also known as 'He Lives', was taught music as a child by his father, Hymnary.org reports. Later, Ackley studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The same Website states Ackley graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary in Maryland and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1914.

Answer: impart

The missing word is 'impart'.

After graduating from Westminster Theological Seminary in Maryland,
Alfred Henry Ackley served as a pastor in Pennsylvania, at Wilkes-Barre and Elm­hurst, and in Es­con­di­do, Cal­i­for­nia. Hymnary,org reports Ackley, similar to his older brother Bentley DeForest, worked with with evan­gel­ist Billy Sun­day for "a few years".

Answer: care

The missing word is 'care'.

After working with evangelist Billy Sunday, Cyberhymnal.org reports Alfred Henry Ackley served as as­sist­ant pas­tor of Sha­dy­side Pres­by­ter­i­an Church in Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia. The Website reports John Brown Un­i­ver­si­ty in Si­lo­am Springs, Ar­kan­sas, award­ed him an hon­o­ra­ry Doc­tor of Sac­red Mu­sic de­gree.

Answer: despair

The missing word is 'despair'.

In 1909, Alfred Henry Ackley married Helen Virginia Armacost. She was born No­vem­ber 19, 1886, in Finks­burg, Mar­y­land and died Oc­to­ber 13, 1950. She is buried in West­min­ster, Mar­y­land. According to Cyberhymnal.org, Ackley's wife was also a hymn writer and had one of them published -- 'Neither Height, Nor Depth, Nor Breadth'. Her husband composed the music for the hymn.

Answer: blast

The missing word is 'blast'.

In addition to 'I Serve a Risen Savior', titles of other popular hymns in their day by Alfred Henry Ackley include 'As a Tree Beside the Water', 'Coming Home', 'In the Service of the King', 'Take Up Thy Cross' and 'Somebody Knows'. Cyberhymnal.org reports Ackley also wrote some secular songs but no examples of titles are provided.

Answer: appearing

The missing word is 'appearing'.

The Website Popularhymns.com offers this account about the story behind Alfred Henry Ackley writing the popular hymn 'I Serve a Risen Savior', also known as 'He Lives':
"'Why should I worship a dead Jew?' This challenging question was posed by a sincere young Jewish student who had been attending evangelistic meetings conducted by the author and composer of this hymn, Alfred H. Ackley.

"Mr. Ackley's answer to this searching question, ultimately prompted the writing of this popular gospel hymn, 'He Lives'. The composer answered his inquirer: 'He lives! I tell you, He is not dead, but lives here and now! Jesus Christ is more alive today than ever before. I can prove it by my own experience, as well as the testimony of countless thousands'.

"Mr. Ackley's forthright, emphatic answer, together with his subsequent successful effort to win the man for Christ, flowered forth into song and crystallized into a convincing sermon in hymn on 'He Lives'. So he sat down at the piano and voiced that conclusion in song. He says, 'The thought of His ever-living presence brought the music promptly and easily'."

Answer: loving

The missing word is 'loving'.

More than 80 years after it was written by Alfred Henry Ackley, the hymn 'I Serve a Risen Savior' remains incredibly popular. It's a hymn that is much associated with Easter worship services as the words tell of a living Christ.

Here are the words to the hymn 'I Serve a Risen Savior', also known as 'He Lives':

"I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.

He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho' my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro' all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.

He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.

He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart."