Gospel Greats -- 'Love Lifted Me' Quiz

Answer: peaceful

The missing word is 'peaceful'.

'Love Lifted Me' was written by James Rowe and set to music by Howard E. Smith in 1912 in Saug­a­tuck, Con­nec­ti­cut. Rowe was born Jan­u­a­ry 1, 1865, in Hor­ra­bridge, De­von­shire, Eng­land and died No­vem­ber 10, 1933, in Wells, Ver­mont. Smith was born in Connecticut in 1863 and died in 1918.

Answer: stained

The missing word is 'stained'.

James Rowe, writer of the hymn 'Love Lifted Me', was the son of John Rowe, a cop­per min­er, according to the Website Cyberhymnal.org. "James worked for the Ir­ish gov­ern­ment for four years, then em­i­grat­ed to Amer­i­ca at age 24," Cyberhymnal.org reports. "He set­tled in Al­ba­ny, New York, and worked in rail­roads in New York for 10 years."

The Webesite goes on to state Rowe later became an in­spect­or for the Hud­son Riv­er Hu­mane So­ci­e­ty before working for mu­sic pub­lish­ers in Tex­as and Ten­nes­see.

Answer: cry

The missing word is 'cry'.

Howard E. Smith was a church organist in Connecticut who composed the music for six different hymns, including 'Love Lifted Me'. According to Cyberhymnal.org, he composed the music for 'Carol of Redemption', 'Hallelujah Unto Jesus', 'His Word Was with Power', 'Shining Out of Darkness', 'Wonderful Book' and 'Love Lifted Me'.

Answer: safe

The missing word is 'safe'.

James Rowe, writer of the hymn 'Love Lifted Me', moved to Vermont in his later years. According to Cyberhymnal.org, Rowe's daughter was an artist and he wrote verses for greeting cards. No one knows for certain how many hymns Rowe wrote. Popularhymns.com, for example, states Rowe claimed to have written "more than 19,000 song texts". Chrisfieldblog.com states he wrote 8,000 hymns. Meanwhile, Hymnary.org lists 2,679 hymns written by Rowe that were popular in their day.

Answer: could help

The missing words are 'could help'.

The daughter of James Rowe, writer of 'Love Lifted Me', recalls her father working with Howard E. Smith on the hymn that would become a classic. "...Smith was a lit­tle man whose hands were so knot­ted with arth­ri­tis that you would won­der how he could use them at all, much less play the pi­a­no," recalls Rowe's daughter, who is not named, on the Website Cyberhymnal.org. "I can see them now, my fa­ther strid­ing up and down hum­ming a bar or two and How­ard E. play­ing it and jot­ting it down."

Answer: cling

The missing word is 'cling'.

As stated in the answer to Question No. 1, 'Love Lifted Me' was written by James Rowe with Howard E. Smith composing the music in 1912. According to the Website Popularhymns.com, three years later, in 1915, they sold the copyright to Charles Tillman, who transferred it to Robert Coleman for $100. Chrisfieldblog.com reports in addition to writing hymns, Rowe was "an effective singing teacher."

Answer: mighty

The missing word is 'mighty'.

According to Hymnary.org, the hymn 'Love Lifted Me' is based on Matthew 14:29-31, Scripture telling of Peter attempting to walk on the water to Jesus. The verses in the New King James Bible state: "So He said, 'Come.' And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!' And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'

Answer: loving

The missing word is 'loving'.

Umdiscipleship.org, the Website of the United Methodist Church, reports 'Love Lifted Me' is incredibly popular with its church members:
"The church-wide research conducted by Discipleship Ministries... showed 'Love Lifted Me' as the No. 1 hymn requested to be included in a new hymnal that was not already in 'The United Methodist Hymnal' (1989) or 'The Faith We Sing' (2000)."

Others see things differently. The Website Unlockingthebible.org has a list of the 25 Most Popular Christian Hymns and notably absent is 'Love Lifted Me'.

Answer: waves

The missing word is 'waves'.

American country singer singer Kenny Rogers recorded a secularized version of 'Love Lifted Me' on his first solo album for United Artists Records in 1976. "It had been released as a single in 1975 and went to No. 19 on the U.S. Country charts and crossed over to the U.S. Hot 100 list at No, 97," reports the Website Umdiscipleship.org. "In Rogers' version there is nothing sacred, and he substitutes his own verse while retaining an adaptation of the refrain."

Answer: saved

The missing word is 'saved'.

Some titles of other hymns written by James Rowe include 'After the Midnight', 'Because I Love Jesus', 'He's My King', 'There is Room in His Heart for You' and 'Wonderful Message'.

Here are the words to the hymn 'Love Lifted Me'.

"I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Refrain:
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I'll cling
In His blessèd presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul's best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.

Refrain:

Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves,
He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.
He's the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Refrain:"