Religious Music – In The Garden lyrics

I believe this song is about the very personal relationship the composer enjoys with God, and most especially with Jesus. It seems to me that the song takes us along through the entire day with the composer and invites us to join in that daily walk in union with him, with God, with other believers, with angels, saints, the heavenly hosts. To me, it calls us all to become more than we are, more than we could ever be by depending only on ourselves while remembering that whatever good we do comes from Jesus. If Christians can do all this, the world will be better for our presence. Let's pray for the grace he tells us we only need request, working as if we could accomplish it by ourselves, and praying because we know we cannot; we require constant support and guidance from our Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This hymn was written by the composer, C. Austin Miles, and is from the point of view of Mary who returned to the tomb of the Saviour the next morning after his death on the cross, to mourn, and instead found him alive, and the incomparable joy she must have felt.

My mom loved this song and I remember her singing it to me when I was a little girl. I will always hold those memories close to me. When I start missing her, I close my eyes and see her and hear her as she was singing this. I thank God for giving us His only begotten son so that I know when my time on earth is over, I will be joining my mom in heaven. That's what I feel this song is about.

This hymn is somewhat embarrassing. The composer evidently did not know that the New Testament is a fiction, that the Biblical Jesus, his disciples, any of the characters of the gospels (with the exception of Pontius Pilate, who was a real person) never actually existed as flesh and blood human beings. He's singing a love song to an invisible playmate.

When I hear this song, I remember that it was my father's favorite hymn. Until his last few months, my dad was not a Christian. He was a good man in most every respect. He was probably as good as any carnal man can be. He was kind and loving, gentle, and good natured. He was a principled man. He lived a clean life. He was highly respected of everyone who knew him. He was a very hard worker and provider for our family. He worked himself up to one of the very senior offices of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department. He was the Assistant Director of Law Enforcement, and he got there with only a high school education. He self educated himself as he worked to reach that position. Though my dad almost never went to church but on special occasions, and he did not claim to be a Christian, this most beloved hymn, "In the Garden", was his favorite. He would sing it when the family would gather around our piano and sing it with us. This all took place early in my life as I was growing up. Today, as I was reading the introductory articles in the March 2018 edition of God's Revivalist on the topic, "The Knowledge of God", my thoughts began to wander and reflect back to my dad, Albert Hess Henson, and what kind of man he was. Though he did not profess to be a Christian until his last 11 or so months of his life, the fact that he so loved this great hymn of the church spoke volumes to me of who and what my dad was and why he was the great man he was. No doubt that at times dad could from a distance hear the voice of God speaking and guiding him to keep him from going into deep sin. God through this hymn was silently guiding his life until that time when he plunged in and became a Christian who had a know-so knowledge of his God. With tears streaming down my face, this 79 year old son of his cannot but lift my hands, heart, and very being up to God in praise and worship for the great, loving, and merciful God that he is. His Holy Spirit will chase us till our last breath has left our bodies. Thank you, Lord, for saving my dad! Hold me tight Lord, as I cling to you, and I will see you, and my dad and mother, too, again soon in Heaven.