When the Roll is Called Up Yoder
James Black was the superintendent of the Methodist Church in Williamsport, PA. On his way to the church he walked past a number of row houses where his attention was drawn to a young lady. He had never seen this girl in attendance at his Sunday School. He would know, since he was in charge of attendance and took the roll call every Sunday.
Black invited the girl to church. But he was told she could not come. Her mother said her clothing was not nice enough to allow her to go to church.
Black soon had the Methodist women helping to provide clothes for the girl. Before long, she was at church every Sunday. As time passed, he found the reason for the poverty that had kept her away before was because of her father’s drinking problems.
One Sunday, as he called the roll, the girl was not there. He was concerned for her because of her father’s drinking issues. This caused him to go to the home. When he arrived he found a very sick girl. Realizing that it was serious, he summoned his own doctor who diagnosed it as a case of advanced pneumonia.
As Black made his way back home that Sunday afternoon, he was shake off the sadness. How terrible it would be for those whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. On reaching home the words of the first stanza of a new hymn came to his mind in full.
Within fifteen minutes the two following verses were also written down, and then Mr. Black turned to the piano. “I played the music,” he said, “just as it is found today in the hymn books, note for note, and I have never dared to change a single word or note of the song.”
- When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
Chorus:
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
2. On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of His resurrection share;
When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
Chorus
3. Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;
Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
Chorus