Born in 1912, James Edwin Orr was a professor of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary. He taught courses in the history of mission to career missionary. He traveled widely, visiting over a hundred and fifty countries.
Despite his many accomplishments, Dr. Orr will probably be best remembered as the author of the revival hymn, Cleanse Me. He wrote it in 1936 during the Easter revival convention in Ngāruawāhia, New Zealand.
Prior to this Easter campaign, an attitude of unusual expectancy had been prevalent among these people. Prayer meetings spread throughout the city with much fervency, and intercession led to wide-spread confession and reconciliation among the believers. Great numbers of unconverted students professed faith in Christ. News of the revival spread throughout the country. As Dr. Orr was leaving, four Aborigine girls approached him and sang a beautiful Maori Song of Farewell. He was so taken with the beauty of the melody that he soon wrote new verses to the tune on the back of an envelope. The text was based on Psalm 139: 23-24
The revival news soon spread throughout all of New Zealand. Dr. Orr reports that as he was leaving New Zealand, four Aborigine girls approached and sang for him a beautiful Maori Song of Farewell.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
Further campaigns by Dr. Orr throughout Australia in the 1930s and later in nearly all of the English-speaking world, soon popularized this prayer hymn everywhere.
For more hymns see these posts:
Hopeful Hymn #3
A Lenten Hymn
The Navy Hymn
No comments:
Post a Comment