Brian Doerksen It Is Well
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way;
When sorrows, like sea billows, roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
CHORUS:
It is well with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let blessed assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul
(Chorus)
My sin, O the bliss, of this glorious thought;
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.
(Chorus)
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend;
Even so it is well with my soul.
(Chorus)
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The Story Behind The Song
My first worship recording would not be complete
without including one of the hymns that I turn to again
and again for strength in the storms of life. Having my
Dad sing it with me is my expression of 'honoring our
fathers,' of honoring the ones who have gone before us
in life and ministry and made a way for us.
I remember my dad leading the singing at our local
Mennonite Brethren church every Sunday, back in the
days when the term 'worship leader' was not yet in
circulation. I also remember when my Dad invited me to
come to the recording studio as they worked on one of
the 10 records he recorded with the quartet he was in
called "The Ambassador Singers."
"It Is Well" is one of the Church's most beloved hymns,
and it's one the most meaningful to me, especially
knowing the story behind it! It was written out of
incredible faith in the face of loss as Horatio
Spafford passed over the spot on the Atlantic Ocean
where his four daughters had died in a shipwreck on
Nov. 22, 1873.
In January of 2000, I sang it when my 15-year-old
nephew, Matthew Peters, was taken from us, along with 2
other teenagers in a tragic car accident. Since Sep
11th, people have again turned to this hymn. I hope
this version of 'It Is Well' is an encouragement of
God's faithfulness in times of trouble for my parent's
generation, and for my generation as well!
