THE SAVIOUR IS WAITING

The story today is about a twentieth century hymn written in 1958 by Ralph Carmichael.  Born in Quincy, Illinois in 1927, his mother was a gifted Bible teacher and his father a pastor. 

His father also played the fiddle, but some in his church called fiddles the devil’s instruments.  With this criticism, Rev. Carmichael stopped playing it and gave it to his four-year-old son, Ralph.  At the same time he arranged music lessons for his son.  Over time, Ralph not only mastered the fiddle but also the piano, the trumpet and excelled in voice lessons.

After committing his life to Jesus Christ at the age of seventeen, Ralph enrolled in Bible College.  Although he struggled with the academics of Hebrew and Greek, he reveled in music and in organizing choirs and orchestras.  While in School, he produced a local, weekly, Christian television show.

For five years he served as the minister of music at a Baptist Church in Los Angeles.  It was while he was in this ministry that he wrote his classic hymn of invitation…THE SAVIOUR IS WAITING.  It was also here that he began writing most of the music for the movies produced by World Wide Pictures a subsidiary of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. 

When you sing this hymn, know that the Saviour is patiently waiting to answer your call for yet a little while longer!