Is in the garden a funeral hymn?

In the Garden

I come to the garden alone,

While the dew is still on the roses,

And the voice I hear falling on my ear,

The Son of God discloses...

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own,

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other, has ever, known!

He speaks and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that he gave to me,

Within my heart is ringing . . .

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own,

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other, has ever, known!

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other, has ever, known!

Words and Music by C. Austin Miles, 1912

Songwriters C. Austin Miles Published by Public Domain

The Story Behind In The Garden

Here is the account of how this beautiful hymn was written from the hymn writer, C. Austin Miles, himself, “One day in April 1912, I was seated in the dark room where I kept my photographic equipment, and also my organ. I drew my Bible toward me and it opened at my favorite book and chapter, John chapter twenty. I don’t know if this was by chance or by the work of the Holy Spirit. I will let you the reader decide. That story of Jesus and Mary in John 20 had lost none of its power and charm.

It was though I was in a trance, as I read it that day, I seemed to be part of the scene. I became a silent witness to that dramatic moment in Mary’s life when she knelt before her Lord and cried, “Rabboni”. I rested my hands on the open Bible, as I stared at the light blue wall. As the light faded, I seemed to be standing at the entrance of a garden, looking down a gently winding path, shaded by olive branches. A woman in white, with head, bowed, hand clasping her throat, as if to choke back her sobs, walked slowly into the shadows. It was Mary. As she came unto the tomb, upon which she placed her hand, she bent over to look in and ran away.

John, in a flowing robe, appeared looking at the tomb. Then came Peter, who entered the tomb, followed slowly by John. As they departed, Mary reappeared leaning her head upon her arm at the tomb, she wept. Turning herself, she saw Jesus standing there, so did I. I knew it was He. She knelt before Him, with arms outstretched, and looking into His face cried, “Rabboni”.

I awakened in sunlight, gripping my Bible with my muscles tense, and nerves vibrating, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I wrote as quickly as the words could be formed the lyrics exactly as it is sung today. That same evening, I wrote the tune. It is sung today as it was written in 1912.”

Popular Hymn Lyrics with Story and Meaning
Day by Day and With Each Passing Moment
Jesus Loves Me
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Blessed Assurance
Nearer My God to Thee
Abide with Me
His Eye is On the Sparrow
Be Thou My Vision
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty
Amazing Grace

Playlist of Performances singing "In The Garden"

In the Garden

Author: C. Austin Miles (March 1912)
Typical Tune: In the Garden (March 1912)

~~~~~

HYMN BACKGROUND

Miles was a pharmacist and amateur photographer. One day in March 1912 he was developing pictures in his dark room. He saw a vision of Mary Magdalene visiting the empty tomb. He saw her leave the tomb and walk into a garden where she met the risen Jesus (John 20:11-18). Quickly after the vision, Miles jotted down the simple lyrics. That night, he wrote the music. The hymn was published later in the year and became the theme song for Billy Sunday’s crusades.

~~~~~

LYRICS

1 I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

2 He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
Refrain

3 I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.
Refrain

~~~~~

COMMENTARY

Just recently, I had to ask a family to replace this song in their mother’s funeral. It’s not an easy thing to tell a family that one of their loved one’s favorite hymns isn’t necessarily a good choice for a funeral hymn. However, there are some reasons for my thoughts:

1. The “hope” given by this hymn is ambiguous. This is especially the case when the backstory of the hymn is unknown (as it was to me before this post). The ambiguity begins with the voice that speaks in the garden. It doesn’t specifically state anything about Jesus. It only says there is a voice that “discloses” the Son of God. While the word discloses means to reveal or to make known, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Jesus appears in the garden. Jesus might be the “he” walking and talking with the singer, but the might doesn’t give much hope. Especially in the funeral service, we’re wanting to stay away from any source of ambiguity. The funeral service is supposed to be the one place on this earth there is not ambiguity but certainty. In the service, the certainty of death because of sin is illustrated by the casket or urn. The certainty of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of those sins is to be proclaimed through the sermon as well as the hymns chosen.

2. This joy that “none other has ever known” works completely against the Gospel. The Christian’s joy of conversing with God is the same for everyone. Everyone who has been brought into the Christian faith through Baptism has the same joy. They know the joy that Christians throughout the centuries have known.

3. The desire to stay with Jesus is well understood. St. Paul even says that he’d rather die and be with Jesus instead of preaching the Gospel. It is much better to be with Jesus, but God doesn’t call us to our eternal home on our time schedule. He calls us when it is His time for us to receive our reward. The hymn hints at this in the third verse when Miles writes, “But He bids me go; through the voice of woe His voice to me is calling.” We wish to be in the garden with Jesus, but we will not have this until we reach the other side of the grave. Until then, we are in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), longing to be with Him.

4. The voice we need to seek out in the midst of the wilderness is Jesus’ voice. The voice that comes to us as we gather around His Word through worship and devotion. Being students of His Word, we hear His voice daily as He calls us to repent, deny ourselves, carry our cross and follow Him. The first thing I think of when hearing the voice in the Garden is the first recorded voice in the Garden of Eden–Satan. And that’s one voice we should never listen to.

These are some of my thoughts on this hymn. In the context of a regular Sunday morning service, it might have a place along with the readings and sermon. One could say the same about the funeral service, but there can be more said on a Sunday morning with it than there is proper for a funeral service.

Is the song In the Garden a hymn?

What is the story behind the hymn In the Garden?

What Scripture is In the Garden based on?

What is the most popular church hymn?