https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/PreciousMemories.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Psalms 119:97-104<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. This lesson actually started out as a challenge to myself. I had read yet another article that\ntalked about how “Precious Memories” was a poor song, lacking in scriptural foundation.\n\n A. But I could think of several applicable verses, so I decided to do a lesson based on\nthe thoughts of the song\n
B. Background:<\/p>\n 1. The song was written by John Baselton Fillmore Wright. He was born in\nTennessee in February 21, 1877, the fifth of twelve children. His parents\nmoved to Box Church in Limestone County, Texas, in 1879. He grew up\nhere and married a local girl named Fannie Jackson. They left their home\ntown and moved around Texas for many years.\n 2. In 1909, his mother died. Mr. Wright later told Clint Bonner, a\nhymnologist, that he remembered her as one of “the sweetest singers of her\ngeneration.”\n
3. His father died five years later in 1914.<\/p>\n 4. “We lived by the railroad, below Hamlin, Texas. Little three-year-old\nEverett would watch for the ‘chwains,’ as he called them, and he would\nstand at the front yard gate and wave his little hands to the trainmen as\nthey passed our house. They would always wave back to him. On Sunday\nevening, January 22, 1922, he [Everett] was stricken with ‘Membrane’s\nCroup’ [diphtheria] and the next day, just as the sun went down, our little\nboy was dead. For many days after this, when the trains would pass the\ntrainmen would be watching for little Everett to wave, but he was not\nthere. Many times I watched them looking for him, and I wept and cried.”\n 5. Over a year later, on the night of October 23, 1923, he wrote “Precious\nMemories.”\n 6. He sold the song to V.O. Stamps who published it in 1925 in Harbor\nBells<\/i>. J. B. F. Wright was listed as the owner, but Mr. Stamps neglected to\ninclude the copyright date.\n 7. There was a verbal agreement, according to Mr. Wright’s distant cousin,\nNellie Wright, that John would be paid royalty each time the song was\nrecorded, but he only received one $36 check. Mr. Stamps died soon\nafterward and his heirs would not honor the agreement. Instead, they filed\na copyright in their company’s name for the song in 1938.\n 8. J. B. F. Wright died October 13, 1959, never being paid but once for the\nsong he was most noted for.\n 9. Later, in 1966 Stamps-Baxter renewed their copyright having Lonnie B.\nCombs add an additional stanza to the song. This was a common tactic of\ntheirs when a copyright ran out or there was questions about the\nownership. They could then claim ownership of the “new” song with the\nadditional verse.\nII. “Precious memories, unseen angels Sent from somewhere to my soul – How they linger,\never near me And the sacred past unfold”\n A. “Angels” means “messengers.” The angels are God’s messengers. They brought\nGod’s Word to mankind in the past – Hebrews 2:2\n B. Here “memories” are called unseen angels, messengers sent to remind me and to\nstay with me.\n
1. Consider those who have taught us <\/p>\n a. The things we learn in childhood tend to stay with us – II Timothy\n1:5; 3:14-15\n
b. Memories of faithful teachers – II Timothy 2:2<\/p>\n (1) The Levites were the teachers of the law in the Old\nTestament and they were seen as messengers of God\nbecause of their duty – Malachi 2:7\n (2) We serve God teaching others and living by the Word – I\nTimothy 4:6\n C. But most important are the teachings of God, His records of the past – Romans\n15:4\n 1. These memories, recorded by angels (whom we have not seen), were for\nus – I Peter 1:10-12\n
2. Just not the Old, but the New as well – II Peter 1:13-21<\/p>\n 3. We need reminders. We need our memories stirred up, so that the things\nwe have learned are always fresh on our minds.\nIII. “Precious father, loving mother, Fly across the lonely years, And old home scenes of my\nchildhood In fond memory appears.”\n
A. Repeatedly in Proverbs we are told not to forget the teachings of our parents<\/p>\n
1. They make us look better – Proverbs 1:8-9<\/p>\n 2. They have given us good teachings according to God’s Law – Proverbs\n4:1-2\n 3. They teach us how to make good choices and to teach others the truth –\nProverbs 5:1-2\n B. We are to honor our parents, so that our lives are better and longer – Ephesians\n6:2-3\n
1. In part it is because our parents taught us of the Lord – Ephesians 6:4<\/p>\n
2. Solomon recalled his father’s teachings – Proverbs 4:3-9<\/p>\n
3. And so he passed them down – Proverbs 4:10-13<\/p>\n C. Parents, not only remember your childhood, but think for a moment: What\nmemories will you leave for your children?\n 1. Will they remember your wisdom, your prayers, your songs, your joy in\nbeing a child of God?\n 2. When you’ve passed on, what legacy will you have left behind? – Proverbs\n13:22\n
3. We won’t always be around – Psalms 103:13-18<\/p>\nIV. “In the stillness of the midnight Echoes from the past I hear; Old time singing, gladness\nbringing From that lovely land somewhere.”\n
A. David, at times, had trouble sleeping – Psalms 77:2-14<\/p>\n 1. The nights are a time for memories to arise and for us to contemplate what\nit all means. \n
2. David considered the past – Psalms 77:5-6<\/p>\n 3. And he realized that the past taught that God works wonders – Psalms\n77:11-14\n
B. Recall that David remembered songs in the night? – Psalms 77:6<\/p>\n
1. Songs are tools to teach – Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:17-20<\/p>\n
2. Melodies help keep ideas in our minds<\/p>\n C. David recalled all that God has taught him and realized the joy that he had –\nPsalms 16:6-11\nV. “As I travel on life’s pathway, Know not what the years may hold; As I ponder, hope\ngrows fonder, Precious memories flood my soul.”\n
A. We don’t know what the future may hold for any of us – James 4:14<\/p>\n B. One of the things that carried Paul through, was his memories of his brethren –\nPhilippians 1:3\n C. Yet we can travel life’s path more confidently with the memories of what we have\nlearned – Proverbs 6:20-23\n
D. Through it all, good or bad, our hope of heaven remains – Colossians 1:3-6<\/p>\n
E. Grounded in the Spirit’s teachings – Ephesians 3:14-21<\/p>\nVI. “Precious memories, how they linger, How they ever flood my soul; In the stillness of the\nmidnight, Precious, sacred scenes unfold”\n A. “Precious Memories” is song that teaches an important spiritual concept: the\nimportance of remembering the past – the teachings we received and the examples\nwe’ve been shown – Psalms 78:1-8\n B. Not all memories are pleasant. Sometimes we have to learn lessons on what not to\ndo – I Corinthians 10:11-12\n C. But in our memories of God’s Word there is guidance that leads us ever onward –\nColossians 1:21-23 \n
D. Apply those lessons to your life – James 1:21-25<\/p>\n
E. Paul was thankful for his brethren’s memory – I Corinthians 11:2<\/p>\n
\n
Sources:<\/p>\n
• Robert J. Taylor, “Precious Memories,” A Song Is Born<\/i>, Taylor Publications, 2005<\/p>\n
• Wayne Walker, “Precious Memories,” Hymns Studies Blog<\/i>, 2008<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 119:97-104 I. This lesson actually started out as a challenge to myself. I had read yet another article that talked about how “Precious Memories” was a poor song, lacking in scriptural foundation. A. But I could think of several applicable verses, so I decided to do a lesson based on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[1458,521],"class_list":["post-46485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-remembering","tag-songs"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":85534,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-handle-someone-objecting-to-precious-memories\/","url_meta":{"origin":46485,"position":0},"title":"How do I handle someone objecting to “Precious Memories”?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I enjoyed your online message based on the hymn Precious Memories. After having led this hymn in worship for almost sixty years, the preacher where I attend said if Precious Memories was sung, he would walk out and not sing it because it is unbiblical. He says angels do\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14609,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-songbooks-would-you-recommend\/","url_meta":{"origin":46485,"position":1},"title":"What songbooks would you recommend?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 7, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We are building a new building and we are needing songbooks. My husband is one of the song leaders. I would like to know which book you would recommend to us. We are strictly a New Testament church. No musical instruments and no praise teams. Also, I need to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51155,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-for-the-song-leader-to-express-appreciation-for-the-preacher-and-his-lesson\/","url_meta":{"origin":46485,"position":2},"title":"Is it wrong for the song leader to express appreciation for the preacher and his lesson?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 3, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello brother Jeffrey, I hope you are doing well. I recently heard a brother ask this question and wanted to reach out to you with it. If hand clapping in worship is wrong, what is the difference between that and a song leader appreciating the preacher after his sermon?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61198,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/worship-the-king-song\/","url_meta":{"origin":46485,"position":3},"title":"Worship the King (Song)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 8, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Midi Tune: Sheet Music:","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63175,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/ezekiel-gods-entertaining-song\/","url_meta":{"origin":46485,"position":4},"title":"Ezekiel – God’s Entertaining Song","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 10, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"by Eric M. Hamilton Ordinary Is God's Extraordinary","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23026,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/theres-a-lesson-in-that\/","url_meta":{"origin":46485,"position":5},"title":"There’s a Lesson in That …","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Patrick Andrews Two weeks ago, at the request of a friend, I wrote a poem about Beulah Land. Someone commented on that poem recently and after I finished reading the comment, I listened again to the song that I had copied to my post. This song was written over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/piano-300x169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46485\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}