Since writing about Oprah Winfrey and The Color Purple story in The Cyres Cafe Newsletter, I’ve been asked for more about ‘I Surrender All’.

The words are by Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896, and the music is by Winfield S. Weeden, 1896.

Van DeVenter wrote this song in East Palestine, Ohio, in the home of George Sebring (later the developer of the town of Sebring, Florida). At the time, Judson was undecided about whether to continue his career in art or go into full-time evangelistic work. After writing this song, he decided to become an evangelist and was notably successful in that field.

While Weeden published a number of books of religious music, this may have been his favorite. Its title is on his tombstone.

My favorite performance of this song: Faith Hill on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Oprah Winfrey was moved when she heard invited guest, Faith Hill, singing the gospel song “I Surrender All,” during Faith’s Oprah show practice rehearsal. On the show, Faith Hill was emotionally moved by Oprah’s ‘The Color Purple’ story. Oprah tells how she desperately wanted a part in the 1985 Steven Spielberg movie, ‘The Color Purple’. Oprah went to a fat-farm to try to lose extra pounds, and while there, she said she couldn’t bare the pressure of her desire for that dream anymore and so she started praying, singing, and crying. She sang “I Surrender All,” giving up her obsession to be in the movie. In the moment that she ‘let go and let god’, she allowed her good in … the telephone rang … it was Steven Spielberg, giving Oprah the part in the movie ‘The Color Purple’ which gave her an Academy Award nomination and changed her life forever.

Oprah on her favorite gospel song:

“‘I Surrender All’ is one of my favorite songs. … And it lives in my spirit because I try to surrender everything — I surrender my life, I surrender my doings, I surrender my experiences — because I know that God can dream a bigger dream than we can dream for ourselves.”

1. All to Jesus I surrender;
all to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him,
in his presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender;
humbly at his feet I bow,
worldly pleasures all forsaken;
take me, Jesus, take me now.
(Refrain)

3. All to Jesus I surrender;
make me, Savior, wholly thine;
fill me with thy love and power;
truly know that thou art mine.
(Refrain)

4. All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to thee;
fill me with thy love and power;
let thy blessing fall on me.
(Refrain)

5. All to Jesus I surrender;
now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to his name!
(Refrain)

What does I Surrender All mean in your life?

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