MTC Week #108 - One More River to Cross

I'm so thankful to be a part of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and this week was no exception. There aren't any out-of-the-ordinary experiences or choir news to share this week--we simply worked hard to prepare for this morning's broadcast and worked hard continuing to prepare for our upcoming performance of Mahler's 8th Symphony.

I thought about two oft-repeated lines of text today, from a negro spiritual song we sang called Then We'll Sing Hosanna. The two lines were these:

But we have but the one more river to cross,
And then we'll sing hosanna.

Confirming the intended meaning of this phrase with a friend of mine, this speaks of the negro people who, amidst their incredible hardships and struggles, knew that death was the final river to cross before they'd find ultimate peace. 

As I was pondering this phrase further, I thought about some other personal interpretations. One speaks to a mindset I sometimes get in that isn't very healthy. It's the "after I get through this, THEN I'll be happy" mindset. As we all know, getting through a particular trial does bring a measure of happiness. But the ending of a trial always bring another one to take its place. So unless we can live happily along side our trials, we're going to find it hard to be happy most of the time.

Another thought on this phrase was making sure that as we do make it through trials, hopefully by calling upon God's help and applying the atonement of Christ, that we DO take time to "sing hosanna."  Or, in other words, give thanks for the help and strive to live in a state of gratitude. 

Lastly, I wholeheartedly agree with the original meaning of these two lines of text. From the Book of Alma, in the Book of Mormon, we read: And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

Until next time, God be with you.