Softly & Tenderly Jesus is Calling
Backgrounder: Will Thomson
regularly went to New York City
to sell his secular songs he
had written. He made so much
money from his compositions
that newspapers called him
“the millionaire songwriter”.
But Thomson, a Christian, soon
began concentrating on hymn
writing and set up his own
firm for publishing hymnals.
Two million copies of his
gospel quartet books were sold.
Sometime around 1880, when
Thompson was 33 years old,
he wrote this invitational hymn:
Softly and Tenderly.
Lord, we will come to You:
Then Jesus said: Come to me,
all of you who are weary & carry
heavy burdens, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you.
Let me teach you, because I am
humble and gentle at heart, and
you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy to bear, and
the burden I give you is light
(Matt 11:28-30).
Lord, thank you for loving me
so much and desires that all man
would come to him; for it is He
who will truly give us REST from
our weary condition (Matt 11:28).
Jesus is never tired of waiting
and watching out for us, telling
us: Come home and find Peace.
The Lord has helped me so many
times in singing, “Softly and
Tenderly because I can always
come to His wonderful love and
recieve His abundant mercy.
And I pray that no matter what
my life holds, I can say at the end
softly & tenderly Jesus is calling.
Lord, I’ve loved this hymn since
teenager years, which always
brought me back to You after
sometimes Wandering around.
The Almighty God is so merciful
to receive us back as His children
it doesn’t matter what our sins
may be, He always wants us
back. And He is able to cleanse
us and make white as snow.
And when we walk back to Him
like the prodigal son, He runs
towards us with open arms and
takes us in. No matter how far
we go, He patiently and tenderly
tells us we’ve not gone too far
to come back home.
Lord, I had sung this precious
hymn to my dying eldest sister
even as she struggled in her final
days on earth. And she was well
comforted having known the
Lord and where she was going.
Her dearest wish was that one
of her daughters and her sibling
sister will one day come to know
the Lord like the rest of the family
And I can imagine her singing:
patiently and tenderly Jesus is
calling, Calling for you & for me.
Lord Jesus, you are so just
that You respect the personal
decision and wait. Meanwhile,
grant us the burden for Salvation
for our loved ones and friends for
Jesus is calling All to come home!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Softly and tenderly
Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals
He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Refrain:
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly,
Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!
Why should we tarry
when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger
and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?
Oh, for the wonderful love
He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned,
He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.
Backgrounder: Will Thomson
regularly went to New York City
to sell his secular songs he
had written. He made so much
money from his compositions
that newspapers called him
“the millionaire songwriter”.
But Thomson, a Christian, soon
began concentrating on hymn
writing and set up his own
firm for publishing hymnals.
Two million copies of his
gospel quartet books were sold.
Sometime around 1880, when
Thompson was 33 years old,
he wrote this invitational hymn:
Softly and Tenderly.
Lord, we will come to You:
Then Jesus said: Come to me,
all of you who are weary & carry
heavy burdens, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you.
Let me teach you, because I am
humble and gentle at heart, and
you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy to bear, and
the burden I give you is light
(Matt 11:28-30).
Lord, thank you for loving me
so much and desires that all man
would come to him; for it is He
who will truly give us REST from
our weary condition (Matt 11:28).
Jesus is never tired of waiting
and watching out for us, telling
us: Come home and find Peace.
The Lord has helped me so many
times in singing, “Softly and
Tenderly because I can always
come to His wonderful love and
recieve His abundant mercy.
And I pray that no matter what
my life holds, I can say at the end
softly & tenderly Jesus is calling.
Lord, I’ve loved this hymn since
teenager years, which always
brought me back to You after
sometimes Wandering around.
The Almighty God is so merciful
to receive us back as His children
it doesn’t matter what our sins
may be, He always wants us
back. And He is able to cleanse
us and make white as snow.
And when we walk back to Him
like the prodigal son, He runs
towards us with open arms and
takes us in. No matter how far
we go, He patiently and tenderly
tells us we’ve not gone too far
to come back home.
Lord, I had sung this precious
hymn to my dying eldest sister
even as she struggled in her final
days on earth. And she was well
comforted having known the
Lord and where she was going.
Her dearest wish was that one
of her daughters and her sibling
sister will one day come to know
the Lord like the rest of the family
And I can imagine her singing:
patiently and tenderly Jesus is
calling, Calling for you & for me.
Lord Jesus, you are so just
that You respect the personal
decision and wait. Meanwhile,
grant us the burden for Salvation
for our loved ones and friends for
Jesus is calling All to come home!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Softly and tenderly
Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals
He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Refrain:
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly,
Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!
Why should we tarry
when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger
and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?
Oh, for the wonderful love
He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned,
He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.