I moved to Texas the winter of 1951-52 and among the people I would meet is the author of the poem that I have copied here. In my files I have a bundle of these forms printed on halfsheets of paper with a poem on each side, each written by the undersigned. Later it became my privilege to pastor in Ft Worth, TX and while there I became better acquainted with the family of this Church of God pioneer poet.
For several years it was my pleasure to pastor nenbers of the Wright Family: Son Leonard (wife Lee; son Chuck) and two of Leonard's sisters. They were proud of their Church of God heritage and of their family, but adding to my interest was the fact that my wife had spent her childhood in Oklahoma where her parents had frequently hosted another Wright: evangelist and song writer-author G. E. Wright. The Wrights were relatively unknown to the Church of God but G. E. Wright was well known in the southwest, for his evangelistic ministry as well as being the brother of the author of the much acclaimed song, "Precious Memories."
Half a centeury later I made a Facebook friend and discovered they had very fond family ties going back to the Wright families. That prompted this response when I happened across one of JBF's poem sheets. That further churned the wheels of my mind in thinking about people we meet along this highway of life. We currently find ourseleves in political turmoil with people lining up in opposition to one another for their ideologies, but beneath all of our idealogies we do after all share a common humanity that deserves a basic respect.
We all have to put up with each other in this great universe that a relatively unknown poet has described with considerable feeling of reverence. It causes me to to stop and pause how I treat the people I meet along the way. Like JBF Wright, I may be relatively unknown, altho I may have created a song that literally millions of people have sung unaware.
Now, half a century later, I am piecing together thoughts I wanted to share with a FB friend thinking it would provide a bit of nostalgia and momentary pleasure. It brings to mind a story from the life of the childhood teacher of Martin Luther, who allegedly always took off his hat in the presence of the children he taught: he did not know what kind of greatness he might be standing in the presence of.
It behooves each of us to be respectful of one another. We just might find our past and our present strangely connecting at some distant time in our lives. So; whatever you get from my meandering thoughts, enjoy the reverence I find in these ten verses of JBF Wright as he thought very unscientifically about this universe we live in.
"THE UNBOUNDED UNIVERSE"
by J. B. F. Wright,
Brownwood, Texas
They looked through the heavens, those mysteries to trace,
Millions and billions of miles out in space;
Those millions of galaxies, of stars every where,
The wonders and glories of God they declare.
They look every where, in every direction,
They find no thinning out, but constant reflections;
Of twinkling lights, still further in space,
Those wonders of heaven they definitely trace.
Will they find an edge to the firmament blue,
Where millions and billions of starts peep thru;
Those millions of galaxies like our own milky way,
There is no thinning out, no edge they say.
Our great universe, profound and unbounded,
The wisdom of earth, their wits astounded;
Those incomprehensible worlds out in space,
The hands of Divinity each one there did place.
Sometime, somewhere, in eternity's great past,
Before there were skies, with stars overcast;
God stretched forth His creative hands,
Placing those galaxies according to plan.
Those beautiful stars, so sacred divine,
So high, so lofty, they twinkle and shine;
They are not accidents, just happened to be;
They were planned and created by great "Divinity."
Our great solar system, our great milky way,
Spread out thru the Heavens, a wondrous display;
Those myriads of galaxies thru the universe abound,
Incomprehensible, so vast and profound.
Our great imagination reaching out thru the blue,
With our masterful telescopes,but we can't see thru;
There are always new visions, new galaxies abound,
In every direction, no edge is yet found.
That infinite wisdom those mysteries have planned,
Thru eternal ages those galaxies expand;
Those millions of stars out yonder to space,
From the tips of His fingers each one found their place.
Thru millions of miles in that great blue yonder;
They look, they gaze, in awe they ponder;
Those millions of stars in space so immersed,
They find no edge to our great universe.
This poem composed by J. B. F. Wright, author of the internationally
famous song "Precious Memories" and many other songs and poems.
very truly yours
J. B. F. Wright
Route 3, Box 37
Brownwood, Texas
For several years it was my pleasure to pastor nenbers of the Wright Family: Son Leonard (wife Lee; son Chuck) and two of Leonard's sisters. They were proud of their Church of God heritage and of their family, but adding to my interest was the fact that my wife had spent her childhood in Oklahoma where her parents had frequently hosted another Wright: evangelist and song writer-author G. E. Wright. The Wrights were relatively unknown to the Church of God but G. E. Wright was well known in the southwest, for his evangelistic ministry as well as being the brother of the author of the much acclaimed song, "Precious Memories."
Half a centeury later I made a Facebook friend and discovered they had very fond family ties going back to the Wright families. That prompted this response when I happened across one of JBF's poem sheets. That further churned the wheels of my mind in thinking about people we meet along this highway of life. We currently find ourseleves in political turmoil with people lining up in opposition to one another for their ideologies, but beneath all of our idealogies we do after all share a common humanity that deserves a basic respect.
We all have to put up with each other in this great universe that a relatively unknown poet has described with considerable feeling of reverence. It causes me to to stop and pause how I treat the people I meet along the way. Like JBF Wright, I may be relatively unknown, altho I may have created a song that literally millions of people have sung unaware.
Now, half a century later, I am piecing together thoughts I wanted to share with a FB friend thinking it would provide a bit of nostalgia and momentary pleasure. It brings to mind a story from the life of the childhood teacher of Martin Luther, who allegedly always took off his hat in the presence of the children he taught: he did not know what kind of greatness he might be standing in the presence of.
It behooves each of us to be respectful of one another. We just might find our past and our present strangely connecting at some distant time in our lives. So; whatever you get from my meandering thoughts, enjoy the reverence I find in these ten verses of JBF Wright as he thought very unscientifically about this universe we live in.
"THE UNBOUNDED UNIVERSE"
by J. B. F. Wright,
Brownwood, Texas
They looked through the heavens, those mysteries to trace,
Millions and billions of miles out in space;
Those millions of galaxies, of stars every where,
The wonders and glories of God they declare.
They look every where, in every direction,
They find no thinning out, but constant reflections;
Of twinkling lights, still further in space,
Those wonders of heaven they definitely trace.
Will they find an edge to the firmament blue,
Where millions and billions of starts peep thru;
Those millions of galaxies like our own milky way,
There is no thinning out, no edge they say.
Our great universe, profound and unbounded,
The wisdom of earth, their wits astounded;
Those incomprehensible worlds out in space,
The hands of Divinity each one there did place.
Sometime, somewhere, in eternity's great past,
Before there were skies, with stars overcast;
God stretched forth His creative hands,
Placing those galaxies according to plan.
Those beautiful stars, so sacred divine,
So high, so lofty, they twinkle and shine;
They are not accidents, just happened to be;
They were planned and created by great "Divinity."
Our great solar system, our great milky way,
Spread out thru the Heavens, a wondrous display;
Those myriads of galaxies thru the universe abound,
Incomprehensible, so vast and profound.
Our great imagination reaching out thru the blue,
With our masterful telescopes,but we can't see thru;
There are always new visions, new galaxies abound,
In every direction, no edge is yet found.
That infinite wisdom those mysteries have planned,
Thru eternal ages those galaxies expand;
Those millions of stars out yonder to space,
From the tips of His fingers each one found their place.
Thru millions of miles in that great blue yonder;
They look, they gaze, in awe they ponder;
Those millions of stars in space so immersed,
They find no edge to our great universe.
This poem composed by J. B. F. Wright, author of the internationally
famous song "Precious Memories" and many other songs and poems.
very truly yours
J. B. F. Wright
Route 3, Box 37
Brownwood, Texas
1 comment:
I am researching information on a song written by Bert Moad with tune by G. E. Wright. I've deduced that G. E. may be George Edward Wright, brother of J.B.F. Wright. There is a Bertie Alfred "Bert" Moad buried in Custer Co., OK. You mention in your article that your wife's family hosted G.E. while in Oklahoma. The song, "Somebody Cares When Your Heart Aches" was copyrighted in 1931, but the Bert Moad buried in Custer Co. died in 1922. Do you know if Custer Co. is near where your wife grew up? I am wondering if the text may have been written much earlier than the tune and copyright, which would be the only logical explanation if the Bert Moad interred is the author.
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