What a friend we have in Jesus

Some times you just have a yearning for “comfort food” and, in America, that designation is exemplified by the likes of meatloaf, hamburgers and french fries, Mac’ and Cheese, etc.

Well, I believe, there is a similar style of tuneful composition: you might call it “comfort music.” Robert Hebble has been one of the kings of “comfort music” for many years and I just recently ran across his rendition of “What a friend we have in Jesus,” where I was once again captivated by his $50 chords and clever progressions.

I grew up singing “What a friend we have in Jesus” in Sunday school in a Methodist church in Columbus, Georgia. I can just imagine a child, having sung this in Sunday School, being taken to the local Dairy Queen where he/she is rewarded with a hot fudge sundae with sprinkles and a cherry on top. You might try to envision this work as a musical expression of that child’s gastronomic delight.