Down to the River to Pray

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good ol’ way
And who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord show me the way

I first remember listening to this song in the film ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’. The Alison Kraus version is wonderful; I enjoy this version from our own local concert hall at Snape.

O sisters, let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
O sisters, let’s go down
Down in the river to pray

It’s a song about intentional prayer. It’s not occasional prayer when it’s necessary or convenient. It’s about me deciding that I will go to a specific place for the specific purpose of praying.

It’s about community. We are not alone. We come together – sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, children – all are included. Together we give and gain strength and support, a sense of belonging. We pray together.

O brothers, let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
Come on brothers, let’s go down
Down in the river to pray

We’re going to a river… For the Christian there’s huge symbolism… We cross the River to enter our Promised Land – that land flowing with milk and honey which is God’s promised best for us. We go down to the river for baptism – a picture of washing, rebirth, new identity. We cross the final river of death to pass from troubled mortality to pain-free immortality. Rivers speak of new beginnings, new life, something better.

Some believe that this is an old African American song – bringing a different set of images. The river brings hope in adversity, escape from slavery to freedom, the establishment of justice, peace and security.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good ol’ way
And who shall wear the robe and crown?
Good Lord show me the way

I shall go to church this morning. Together with friends we shall pray. We shall ‘studying about’ the same faith that I’ve been studying for over seventy years. We shall seek to follow that ’good ol’ way’ that my parents and grandparents followed. We shall share the hope of the robe and starry crown.

And my prayer this morning is ‘Lord show me the way’.