Face to Face

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

Face to face with Christ, my Saviour,
Face to face – what will it be
When with rapture I behold Him:
Jesus Christ Who died for me?

CHORUS:
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by.

What rejoicing in His presence
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened
And the dark things shall be plain!

Face to face! O blissful moment –
Face to face to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer –
Jesus Christ who loves me so.

This post is being typed on the day the world learned that a great man of God is now “face to face” with Him – that man being the renowned evangelist, Billy Graham, who has influenced millions of people for Jesus. Probably there is no one reading this who has not heard of Billy Graham, and most have heard him speak, whether in person or on radio or television. Although the above song is not in the Salvation Army Song Book, it is familiar to many, and a fitting way to honour this wonderful preacher and to rejoice for him.

Probably there is no one reading this who has not heard of Billy Graham Share on X

The lyrics were written in the 1890’s as a poem by a busy homemaker and mother of five children in Portland, Oregon, USA. Carrie Elizabeth Breck often mentally composed hymns while doing housework or caring for her children. Her health was frail, however, and sometimes she wrote while resting in her rocking chair. She sent this poem to Grant Tullar, who had recently written new words and music of his own. When he read Carrie Breck’s poem, he saw that it fit exactly to his tune, and immediately substituted her words. How all believers in Jesus will rejoice when we reach that moment of seeing Him face to face!