For God Alone: His Way Mine
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
(Mark 10:17-28)
Dick Baker (1927-2011) is a name that is well known within Southern Baptist circles, and especially, in the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT). Richard Dee Baker was born in Farmersville, TX, and lived in Texas his entire life. Dick attended Baylor University from 1944-1950, during which time he was part of the now famous Youth Revival Movement as music leader and soloist. While at Baylor, Dick started the Baylor Religious Hour (BRH) Choir, a gospel choir that continues to this day, assembling each year during Baylor Homecoming at Seventh and James Baptist Church for the annual SINGSPIRATION. After graduating from Baylor, Dick attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, graduating in 1953. From 1950-1956, he was Minister of Music at Birchman Avenue Baptist Church. In 1956, he and his brother, Bo, formed the Baker Brothers Evangelistic Team, and for the next twenty-plus years, Dick traveled as part of evangelistic teams throughout the United States and the globe. In 1980, Prestonwood Baptist Church called Dick as their Minister of Music, where he faithfully served until retiring in 1992. During those twelve years, Prestonwood grew to over 6,000 members, and is today one of the largest SBC churches in the United States. Throughout his lifetime, Dick composed over 300 gospel songs, one of which was included in Baptist Hymnal 1991, All to Thee.
I have heard the voice of Jesus calling clearly ‘Follow Me;’
No one else could ever promise life eternal and so free.
All to Thee, I give my all to Thee; All to Thee, Thine only will I be;
All to Thee, O Christ of Calvary; my prayer shall ever be, my all to Thee.
Tho’ unworthy of salvation, Jesus sought me for His own;
On the cross He died to save me, now I long to make Him known.
All to Thee, I give my all to Thee; All to Thee, Thine only will I be;
All to Thee, O Christ of Calvary; my prayer shall ever be, my all to Thee.
Only Jesus is the answer for the happiness we seek;
He alone can lift life’s burden, and give strength unto the weak.
All to Thee, I give my all to Thee; All to Thee, Thine only will I be;
All to Thee, O Christ of Calvary; my prayer shall ever be, my all to Thee.
All to Thee, arr. Clint Kimmel (BRH Choir)
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
In 1954, Dick and Bo Baker co-wrote His Way, Mine for a youth camp. This simple song of commitment was published in 1955, and, in 1971, was included in the first edition of Word Music's, Sing ’N Celebrate. In the early seventies, I learned this sweet song, and it remains a personal favorite, theme, and life challenge.
God has a place for every planned creation,
A path for every star to go.
He drew the course for every river’s journey,
Now I know He has a way for me.
I place my life in the hands of God,
Those hands, so scarred, now outstretched for me.
Wherever it may be, over land, over sea,
May Thy will sublime, O thou God divine, be mine.
Now in His will my soul finds life worth living,
Each day new blessings from above;
Though shadows come and valleys seem unending,
Still I know He has a way for me.
I place my life in the hands of God,
Those hands, so scarred, now outstretched for me.
Wherever it may be, over land, over sea,
May Thy will sublime, O thou God divine, be mine.
His Way Mine, Dudley Stiles, soloist (1990)
In the spring of 1973, I played His Way Mine for a piano recital while in the school-sponsored piano studio of Colleen Jost. After playing the piece for our small gathering of piano students, which included my sister, Debbie, and at least one other schoolmate I can recall, Magdalena Tamura, Mrs. Jost said: "Paul, that is the most artistically expressive music you have ever played." Gracious and heart-felt compliments like Mrs. Jost's that afternoon in the Colegio Bolivar auditorium have encouraged this pilgrim to continue pressing forward to fulfill life dreams, and to honor God with the music He placed in my heart and soul.
To God alone be all the glory!
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-29)
© Paul R. Magyar, DMA, 2020
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