Today is the ‘kickoff’ of the 26th Annual Red River Family Encampment in Red River, New Mexico.  In 1987 more than 400 brothers and sisters in Christ met in the New Mexico mountains for the first RRFE.  As we plan for this year’s encampment we are excited about the speakers and lessons that have been planned.  My family and I first experienced Red River in 2002.  We were blessed by the week and from that experience a song was set in my mind.

You may remember the movie with Alison Krauss, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” released in 2000.  This movie gave popularity to the song, “Down in the River to Pray”.  For the last several years this song has found its way into some of our worship services.   But where did it come from?  Is there Biblical precedence for this ‘spiritual song’?  Some historians claim that this song was originally composed and known as “The Good Old Way”.  G.H. (George H.) Allen is recognized as the composer for this piece, and its contents can be found in a section of an old slave song book from 1867.  The song is also known as “Come, Let Us All Go Down”, but has most recently been known as “Down to the River to Pray”, and alternately as “Down in the River to Pray”.  However, the original song, calls for the worshiper to ‘go to a valley’…not a river.  Notice the original words.

“As I went down in de valley to pray,
Studying about dat good old way,
When you shall wear de starry crown,
Good Lord, show me de way.
O mourner, let’s go down, let’s do down, let’s go down,
O mourner, let’s go down, Down in de valley to pray”

Since these are the original words, what is to be said about ‘de valley?’  If, as some suspect, George Allan was a slave in Nashville, one could conclude the valley is somewhere in Tennessee, since there are many valleys there.  Or is there a Biblical reference here from Joel 3:14, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decisions!  For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision!”  There is much more that is intriguing about this song, and many questions still linger.  But what about the word changed from ‘valley’ to ‘river’, what was significant (or Biblical) about going to a river?  And, for those who want to go into the river to pray (and not just to the river), would this be an implied message about baptism?  Perhaps we can find a clearer understanding from John 7:37, 38 when Christ said, “If anyone is thirst, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”  Whatever the message, the composer was most likely thinking of family, as mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers are ‘called’.  One can almost imagine a slave family clinging to one another in this song’s embrace.  And, as verse 5 closes, we are all sinners.  It is interesting that a song which may have found it’s origin from slaves, still resonates in our culture 150 years later.

And today, as I sit in the small mountain town of Red River, New Mexico I encourage those who would read these words to ‘go down’ (to the valley or the river) and pray.  This week at RRFE we’ll be singing, studying, learning, listening and praying…down in the river.

Look again and read this old spiritual song…

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O sisters let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.
O sisters let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O brothers let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.
Come on brothers let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O fathers let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.
O fathers let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O mothers let’s go down, come on down, don’t you want’a go down.
O mothers let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O sinners let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.
O sinners let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!”