Rev. F.W. McGee

Subject: Rev. F.W. McGee
From: jazzhistoria
Date: 22 Jan 07 - 01:15 AM

Rev. Ford Washington McGee recorded some sermons in 1927-1930. One of his last ones was "Everybody don´t know who Jesus is", where he also sings the first part of "Lily of the Valley". I have tried to transcribe this sermon, but parts of it are impossible to translate with my "Swenglish". Can anyone help? I can send a copy or a file.
Thanks
Ingemar Wågerman, Gota River Jazzmen, Gothenburg, Sweden
http://listen.to/gotariver

Subject: RE: Rev. F.W. McGee
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Jan 07 - 08:36 AM

I could give it a try. I listen to lots of stuff like that and since my husband is a preacher too, I would probably be able to follow his line of thought to decipher the accent. I'll PM you an address.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Rev. F.W. McGee
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Feb 07 - 04:22 PM

REV. McGEE TRANSCRIPTION, WITH SCRIPTURAL REFRENCES AND MY NOTES

This sermon is a summary of basic Scripture, a series of well-known passages that tell the story of who Christ is, according to the Bible's wisdom instead of our own. We are called "to account for the hope that is in us." These points would have been one of the first lessons in the basic elements of being able to do that. It was probably part of a series McGee gave on the simplest, essential topics to cover in order to testify to our own experience of God-- and how to give parallel Scripture "proofs" when doing basic evangelism.

The preacher is African American, probably of one of the "sanctified" (Pentecostal) sects of the American south. He concludes his message, or teaching, with a humorous illustration— an image of a well-known type of church-member with which his listeners not only can readily identify, but who his audience is actually imitating in how you can hear them respond to (answering) the elements of that illustration!

My comments are in small green type. The sermon as heard is in regular type. ~SH~



Dear brothers and sisters, do you know that everybody don't know who Jesus is? [He is implying that some among those to whom he is preaching may not know, but that we all need to know and are responsible for being able to explain it accurately]

But Simon Peter knew who He was that sent down [Who sent down] the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

See Matthew 16:13-18:

13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is? 14 And they said, Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

The Holy Ghost, speaking by the prophet Moses, said: 'The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the lawgiver from 'tween his feet, until (a) sign of God.'

This is a reference to Genesis 49:8-12:

8 Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as a lioness; who dares rouse him up? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

(The preacher mis-pronounces 'scepter' which should be pronounced 'septer,' saying instead 'shepter.' The 'lawgiver' is a symbol of the ruler's staff just as the staff of Moses gives Pharaoh some rules!)

Isaiah, in speaking of him, says this:
"For unto us a child is born! Unto us, a son is given! And the government shall be upon his shoulders! His name shall be called, 'Wonderful!' 'Counselor!' 'The Mighty God!' 'Everlasting Father!' 'The Prince of Peace!'

See Isaiah 9:1-7, which is also the basis for some of Handel's famous oratorio, "Messiah."

1 But there will be no gloom for her [Israel] that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zeb'ulun and the land of Naph'tali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Mid'ian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

John the Revelator says:
He's the Son of God. His eyes are like unto a flame of fire. His feet [are] like fire in the furnace. He is the Christ of the continent of the dead, and the Prince of the Kingdom. He's Alpha and Omega. His hair on his head is white like wool, as white as snow. He's the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He's the root offspring of [the root that sprang from] David. He's the Lily of the Valley. He's the Bright and Morning Star, the well of Living Waters that stream from Lebanon, thank God! Hallelujah! He's the Sweetest Rose of Sharon. Somebody says he's a Rock in a weary land, shelter in th' time of a storm... He feeds you when you hungry, thank God!

Revelation determines [proves] He's the Lamb of God.

See Revelation 1:8-18:

Rev. 1:8: I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Rev. 1:13-etc.: ...and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. 14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last, [alpha/omega] 18 and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

This reminds me of what I used to hear my mother say about an old sister [an elder, familiar sister-in-Christ, i.e. a female church-member]. That every time she went to church, she'd be answering the preacher,[interjecting spirit-given encouragements] just as soon's [soon as] he got started! So one day, she was so happy [so "filled with the Holy Spirit'], she was saying, "He's the sheep of God! He's the sheep of God." The preacher said [to her]: "Sister?!? He's not 'the sheep of God'! He's the 'Lamb of God!'" So she said: "Well I knowed [knew] He was some kind of a woolly thing!" [In some times, black folk have been called 'woolly-headed,' so I think she was claiming relationship to Jesus and indicating her awareness of his human nature like ours- sheep.]

So you see— [i.e. You can see for yourself] this old soul was quite confused about what Jesus is, and Who Jesus is. [He's saying tactfully that we don't want to be like her, but we all know people like her who need to be able to do a better job with the basics.]

Subject: RE: Rev. F.W. McGee
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Feb 07 - 04:42 PM

I got the CD from you last week, Ingemar. I'm behind in homework for a class I'm taking, but I'll get to work as soon as I catch up. I listened to it once, and could barely understand anything. You (and WYSIWYG) have done well.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Rev. F.W. McGee
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Feb 07 - 06:31 PM

Thanks, Joe. Hardiman helped-- he grew up in an otherwise nearly-all-black neighborhood as well as being our diocesan Scripture dude for the last decade. In that capacity, he examines ordination candidates who have not sustained their General Ordination Examinations. So he is familiaar with many possible interpretations of those very passages.

Also, we regularly hear sermons of this sort and idiom as we listen through back episodes of WFMU's Sinner's Crossroads, a vintage-black-gospel radio program that includes rare archival preaching. Tools to slow down playback can be helpful, too. But in the main, knowing what Scripture had been used as a basis for the text narrowed down the possibilities of what was being said, even with a sound glitch or two in the recording.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Rev. F.W. McGee
From: jazzhistoria
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 11:11 AM

Thanks, Susan! Just marvellous!

Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide, writes about McGee:

Expertly blending lively congregational singing with powerful preaching, the Reverend F.W. McGee was among the most popular country gospel performers of the pre-Depression era. Born Ford Washington McGee in Winchester, Tennessee on October 5, 1890, he was raised primarily in Hillsboro, Texas; married at the age of 20, within a year he began a career as a teacher, soon after relocating to Oklahoma. Previously a pastor in a Methodist church, McGee converted to Charles H. Mason's Memphis-based Church of God in Christ in 1918, in part attracted to their more energetic singing style. By 1920 he had largely abandoned teaching to pursue preaching full-time, and through his revival meetings became a crucial figure in the GOGIC's encroachment into Kansas and Iowa. He later built a congregation in Oklahoma City with the assistance of the noted sanctified singer/pianist Arizona Dranes; by 1925, McGee had also established the first of two tents in the Chicago area.

When Dranes made her first recordings for OKeh in 1926, she recruited McGee and his Jubilee Singers to back her up; in early 1927, he made his headlining debut -- albeit mistakenly labeled "Rev. F.N. McGee" -- with "Lion of the Tribe of Judah." He next appeared on Victor a few months later, recording four more titles; among them were "Jonah in the Belly of the Whale" and "With His Stripes We Are Healed," which coupled together on a 78 reportedly sold over 100,000 copies. Another Victor session followed before the end of year, yielding the hit "Babylon Is Falling Down"; McGee's popularity as a recording artist also greatly increased the size of his congregation, and by 1928 he had outgrown his tents and built his own Chicago church. His later recording sessions focused primarily on preaching, with musical backing almost incidental; a July 16, 1930 New York City studio date was McGee's last, although he remained active in the GOGIC throughout the decades to follow. He died in 1971. ~

For complete discography see www.answers.com/topic/rev-f-w-mcgee.

Ingemar

Subject: RE: Rev. F.W. McGee
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 01:25 PM

Ingemar,

Happy to help-- loved "meeting" the man!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Rev. F.W. McGee
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 01:41 PM

Ingemar, one last detail-- about the way the man says "Omega." Most people here pronounce it Oh-MAY-ga, not Oh-MEE-ga.

~S~

Subject: Everybody don´t know / Lily of the valley
From: jazzhistoria
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 01:19 AM

The sermon transcribed by Susan ends with a short version of the song "Everybody don´t know who Jesus is". Many New Orleans style Jazz bands (including ours) play this theme combined with "He´s the Lily of the Valley", first recorded by Paul Barbarin in 1951. There are no recordings of "Everybody don´t know" between McGee´s version in 1930 and Barbarin´s in 1951, but the tune was obviously played between those dates and maybe also before 1930 - the trumpet player of the McGee recording is a jazz musician who seems to be quite familiar with the tune. I have found 195 recordings of the tune, with several different versions of the lyrics.

In the fifties there was a poular song called "Everybody ought to know who Jesus is" with the chorus "He´s the Lily of the Valley". Composer credits to Harry Dixon Loes, but another source says Otis Deaton. The melody of "Everybody DON´T know" is almost the same as the original version of "Oh Happy Day"."Everybody OUGHT TO know" is a little different: The first bars are the same as Dixon Loes´ "Every Moment of the Day", published in 1917!

The chorus "He´s the Lily of the Valley" in the "OUGHT TO know" song has the same melody as "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". The "DON´T know" version is almost the same but the chords of the 4-8 bars are reversed. I don´t know if Rev. McGee also sang the "Lily" theme and which melody he used. The question about the origin of the song remains!

This version of "Lily of the Valley" is not the same as the more common one by Charles Fry and William S. Hays (melody: Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane...)

There are many other songs / tunes with the same title - I have found around 30 different, from Tchaikovskij to Queen...

Ingemar Wågerman
Gota River Jazzmen
Gothenburg, Sweden
http://listen.to/gotariver