Now the story behind the sites a on the story of the Hymn. To
the living Christ, I serve. To the living Christ, I serve and
he in the world is, although others deny it. I know that he
already lives his hand Tierna, I see his voice, comfort gives and when
I call him very close he is. He lives, He lives today,
the Savior lives with me, and my redeeming lover will keep me. He
lives, he lives, he imparts salvation. I know he' s living.
It' s because it lives in my heart. It was Easter Sunday
and Pastor Alfred H. Hackley was preparing for the ulto in his church,
of the California Presbyterian Church. It was the year one thousand nine hundred thirty
- two and radio was the most common method of communication. Pastor Akley had
turned him on and listening to local programs all of a sudden he heard the
announcer say. Now we' re going to connect with a special program from
NBC and ABC live from New York. The programme announcer introduced a well-
known New York preacher for his thoughts and liberals, who greeted his audience with
the words Good morning. Today is Easter Day. You know, I don
' t care if Christ really rose from the dead or not. As far
as I' m concerned, his body could be dusted in some tomb in
Palestine. The really important thing is that your truth goes on. That'
s a lie. Atley exclaimed, forgetting that the preacher could not hear it
and that he could be cut with the razor he was shaving with. His
wife did hear him and asked him why he was screaming so much in the
morning or Pastor acle smiled when he told me the story, you didn'
t hear what that preacher said. He said it didn' t matter whether
Christ was resurrected or not. No. No. That morning Acley told me
I preached like never before. He had preached earlier for several weeks he had
been witnessing to a young Jewish woman who had told him why I must worship
a dead Jew. Pastor Aclin had answered her. There is the key,
he is not dead, he is alive and now that preacher had used to
destroy at one stroke what he had given to the early Church, to his
strength and for which many had given their lives. Christ risen and lives today
in the Sunday cult. In the afternoon I saw the second walk, but
when the cult ended and I returned home, I realized that I had not
said everything I wanted to say. My wife realized the situation and told me
to listen to Ifred Ackley. It' s time for you to do what
you least know to do why you don' t write a nimno.“
Perhaps so, you find yourself better listening to his counsel,” Acley says,
“ I went to my study and locked myself in I read again in
the history of the resurrection, as found in Mark sixteen. He is not
here, for the emotion has risen, filled my soul. It was a
glorious experience I will never forget. As I thought of the reality of his
certain presence in my room, I continued to write and in a relatively short
time, all thoughts and stanzas had been placed in their place. I sat
on the piano and the words and melody of the choir immediately followed.