Hymns & Hymn Writers: Above The Bright Blue

This hymn was written and music composed by Charles E. Pollock and is dated 1903. At one time, this was a “new hymn” which reminds me of a commercial slogan about classical music that went something like this “all music was once new.” Some of our hymns are “classic” and I hope we pass that love onto future generations too.

Charles Edward Pollock (1871-1924), Lyricist

Charles Edward Pollock’s biographical information is perplexing. Some sources have him born in IL and dying in TX, while others have him born in PA and dying in KS. One source suggested he should not be confused with another source, but apparently that source was confused too. Tom Childers, who does research in religious history, created an entry for Charles Edward Pollock on FindAGrave.com independent of the others. For fear of perpetuating incorrect information, all I will say Charles Pollock also wrote a verse and the music to “The Christian’s Welcome Home.” I have included some of the websites I have examined, plus, I have some books on hymnody that were not helpful but I did not include those in the sources listed.

Above the Bright Blue

Blue is one of my favorite colors. I have seen wonderful shades of blue from very light to very dark. My most vivid memory of blue is tied to an event in the life of John Wesley Hillman who was a gold prospector. He went hiking along in southern Oregon and discovered Crater Lake in 1853. It was formed from a volcano. There are no rivers going in or out of the basin. It is famous for its deep blue color and clarity. It is 1,949 feet deep, making it the deepest lake in the United States. The surface area is 20.6 square miles. Many people recognize it from its “Wizard Island,” but there is another little island called “Phantom Ship.” If you were to walk around Crater Lake’s shoreline, you would have walked over 20 miles.

Annette took me to Crater Lake in 1997. She had me close my eyes and walked to “Discovery Point” which was where Hillman first saw the lake. It was a beautiful day. Sometimes you cannot see the lake very well, but when I opened my eyes I saw blue like I had never seen before. It was the first time I had seen blue that I thought was even bluer than the sky itself. Ever since that day, this song has had special significance to me; especially the line “This land of sweet rest awaits us, some day it will break on our view.” I do not have much difficulty wondering what Hillman thought when he first saw the lake.

When I think of heaven, I cannot help but think of the color blue. Some sources suggest that blue represents the presence of God and His healing. Some suggest that the edge of the Israelites garments were to be blue, and this is probably what the widow touched when she reached for the hem of Jesus’ garment. Blue was a color included in the tabernacle and also in the High Priest’s garments. The color blue in fabric and such is credited to the Egyptians around 2200 BCE.

It is not difficult to imagine that the writer of this hymn had the ascension of Jesus in mind: “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9–11 NKJV). It is easy to believe that this was part of the inspiration for this song. Also, the Lord will descend from Heaven when He returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Sometimes we grow so comfortable here that we do not want to go anywhere else, but we need to be careful not to allow the attraction of this earth to blind us from the glory that awaits us in heaven. Paul, who was in prison at the time, wrote “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23 NKJV). When I was very young, I was confident that I would be going to heaven even though I figured it would be a long time out in the future. When I was a teenager, I still wanted to go to Heaven, but I was not in much of a hurry. As more saints have “gone onto their reward”  or passed “over the river” that I know and love, the attraction of heaven only grows stronger. When my father’s mother, Hazel Saffle, died he was ready to go be with her because he missed her so much. Now that he is gone himself, I understand that hunger for Heaven. While we do not understand all that is involved in heaven, we certainly do not want to miss Heaven! I am looking forward to that place “above the bright blue” or “the beautiful blue” where Jesus is waiting.

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SOURCES:

“Above the Bright Blue.” No Pages. Cited 26 May 2019. Online: http://drhamrick.blogspot.com/2009/01/above-bright-blue.html.

“Above the Bright Blue.” No Pages. Cited 26 May 2019. Online: https://hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/quotabove-the-bright-bluequot/.

“Charles Edward Pollock.” No Pages. Cited 26 May 2019. Online: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42191537/charles-edward-pollock

“Charles Edward Pollock.” No Pages. Cited 26 May 2019. Online: https://hymnary.org/person/Pollock_Charles1871.

“Charles Edward Pollock.” No Pages. Cited 26 May 2019. Online: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/p/o/l/pollock_ce.htm.

Howard, V. E., Editor, and Broadus E. Smith, Associate Editor, Church Gospel Songs & Hymns, Texarkana, TX:  Central Printers & Publishers, 1983.

Wiegand, John P., Editor, Praise For The Lord, Nashville, TN:  Praise Press, 1997.