Hermosas memorias del tio David! Of hymns and hymnbooks: (When I was a “consultant” for a hymnbook revision) When I was a youth my sister Lydia and I had contests at home to determine who remembered most stanzas of hymns we sang at church. Her prodigious memory always amazed me and I did not have a chance! Once she memorized the whole book of Psalms and I acted as resource person helping her when she forgot some phrase. During the 1970s I was the pastor of the Hispanic congregation of the South Main Baptist Church in Houston. I was privileged to have ministry contacts with many in Latin America and the Foreign Mission Board SBC invited me to visit theological institutions in Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Colombia. Like the cat barking at the mouse opening as a dog said: “It pays to be bilingual!” The Spanish Publishing House in El Paso, TX invited me to be a consultant for their revision of el Himnario Bautista. The editor would send me some new hymns for a critique and I do not remember whether my “suggestions” were incorporated. The time came for the unveiling of the new hymnal in El Paso. Anyone who has lived in Texas knows the immensity of its geography, about 630 miles from Fort Worth to El Paso. I hauled my family to El Paso with a stop in a San Antonio hotel for the kids to enjoy the pool. Recently I got the hymnal from my library and began to sing hymns that I have sung since my adolescence in the Baptist church in La Plata. It brought good memories for someone reared attending a Baptist church. Looking at the hymns notations I realized the wonderful labor of love of many early 20th century translations of traditional Baptist hymns. On occasions, at church Barbara looks at me with a funny look. I am singing the hymn in Spanish!
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 15:24:46 +0000
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