The Rabbit Room | Song of the Day – Instrumental: What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Song of the Day – Instrumental: What a Friend We Have in Jesus

By Ron Block • February 09, 2011

Music

I recorded this the other night for fun in my basement studio with a 1938 Martin D28, playing both parts.

The older I get, the more these words resound in my heart; we have a Friend who will never leave or forsake us. I love how the song doesn’t give the impression that the life of walking in the Spirit is about avoiding suffering; it’s about finding redemption and relationship in our trials and temptations.

_____________

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Winner of 147 Grammys (or so), Ron Block is the banjo-ninja portion of Alison Kraus and Union Station. When he's not laying down a bluegrass-style martial-arts whoopin' on audiences around the world, he's taking care of his donkey named "Trash" and keeping himself busy by being one of the most well-read and thoughtful people we know.

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40 Comments

Clay
February 9, 2011 at 12:46 pm
An acoustic blessing. Great arrangement, and the Martin sings so beautifully. Thanks.
Leigh Mc
February 9, 2011 at 12:49 pm
That’s lovely, Ron. Do you take “hymn requests?” I’d love to hear “He Leadeth Me” on that same guitar!
Goodgame
February 9, 2011 at 12:50 pm
yes. thank you Ron.
Fellow Traveler
February 9, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Sounds great!
Ron, you would love this album, if you don’t already have it. If my copy wasn’t digital, I’d have worn it out by now. Instrumental guitar-based hymns, with your friends Buddy and Jeff chipping in on other instruments:
http://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Sunday-Kevin-Williams/dp/B003SPJ4OC
Seaton
February 9, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Love it! any chance it’ll be available for purchase?
Amy @ My Friend Amy
February 9, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Seriously thanks for this! This is one of my favorite songs and this is so beautiful and just what I needed today.
BuckBuck the Nordic Wonderduck
February 9, 2011 at 1:31 pm
I love the simple, expressive pace of this. It breathes as it moves.
JacobT
February 9, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Beautiful. As that open-G tuning?
guynameddave
February 9, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Thanks so much. Simply lovely.
Sue Wells
February 9, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Beautiful
Steve Mathisen
February 9, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Beautiful Ron! Absolutely moving and tear producing loveliness. I hope you do a whole album like this. I would buy it in a nanosecond!
Aaron Roughton
February 9, 2011 at 4:26 pm
Thanks Ron. Beautiful.
Val
February 9, 2011 at 5:06 pm
brought quietness to my soul this morning…thank you.
Sharon
February 9, 2011 at 6:53 pm
Thank you for this gorgeous song.
Donna
February 9, 2011 at 8:09 pm
mmmmm, a little balm of gilead in those notes friend. thank you.
LauraP
February 10, 2011 at 1:09 am
It wouldn’t be a bad thing to be a small mouse with big ears living in Ron Block’s basement.
Jud
February 10, 2011 at 8:53 am
Ron, your touch coaxes an aching beauty from this simple tune. Thanks for sharing it with us.
If you ever want to put a collection of these together on an album, know there are many of us that will line up to support you in whatever way possible.
BuckBuck the Nordic Wonderduck
February 10, 2011 at 10:01 am
What Jud said.
Ron Block
@ronblock February 10, 2011 at 10:44 am
Jacob, yes, the first guitar is in open G. The main lead guitar is in standard. Leigh, “He Leadeth Me” is on the list. Thanks to all for the kind comments.
DrewP
February 10, 2011 at 11:15 am
Man, this made my morning. Learning a lot about prayer right now. God spoke through you Mr. Block. Thanks for allowing Him to use you!
JC
February 10, 2011 at 11:35 am
Thank You Ron, something told me to check the site out today, now I know it was the Spirit leading me here and your music filling my soul …needed badly today…thank you again
Tony from Pandora
February 10, 2011 at 2:08 pm
I just inherited a 1940 Martin 000-18 from my wife’s grandmother who past away in January.
What maintenance do you do for your 1938 Martin? Does the wear of playing decrease the value? (No I don’t plan on selling, but handing it down to my own children) Just curious…
Kevin E
February 10, 2011 at 2:42 pm
So tight. I’m with Jud too!
Kyle Carlson
February 10, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Ron, I’d rather listen to you play acoustic guitar than hearing just about anything else. Soulful, stirring, reflective, and beautiful rendition. And what a great hymn!
Is it too bold of me to ask that you offer this performance as a download?
Thanks,
Kyle
Ron Block
@ronblock February 10, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Kyle: This was the tester to start my new cd. I’ll include it on the project exactly as is. Sparse instrumental hymns, centered on guitar leads.
Leigh Mc
February 10, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Dancing the happy dance right here in 29-degree Houston!
Nick and Susan
February 10, 2011 at 5:48 pm
“This was the tester to start my new cd.”
Glad I checked back on here to see if others loved this as much as I did.
Doing a happy dance in England too! 😀
Susan
Kyle Carlson
February 10, 2011 at 5:58 pm
OK, I’m more excited now than I was before! You said you recorded it “for fun,” so I didn’t realize it was intended as part of an upcoming project. I will definitely pick this up when it’s ready!
Thanks,
Kyle
Ron Block
@ronblock February 10, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Kyle: it was just for fun, at first. A day later I was thinking how fast I could do a project with songs that I’ve known and loved for years, done in a very sparse manner.
Jud
February 10, 2011 at 6:31 pm
I’m so excited for this project I think I wet myself a little. Been looking forward to more ever since you played “This Is My Father’s World” at Hutchmoot.
Nick and Susan
February 10, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Ron,
Please do more things ‘Just for fun’ 😀
Susan
Joshua Keel
February 11, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Dude, this is way awesome.
Jeremiah Grissom
February 13, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Very nice recording Ron. I’ve been playing around with He Leadeth Me on the classical guitar of late, and I agree with the other person’s request. I’d love to hear you do that song as well. That one really moves me.
There’s a whole lot I think you’d sound great recording, but if I had to request another it would a newer song called Before the Throne of God Above. I’d love to hear your interpretation/recording of that. Peace and great stuff again! God Bless.
BuckBuck the Nordic Wonderduck
February 13, 2011 at 8:13 pm
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/m/comeyspn.htm
This seems like a Ron Block theology sort of hymn to me. Of course, cyberhymnal has that ghastly plinky sound. But this song can be beautiful played soulfully.
BuckBuck the Nordic Wonderduck
February 13, 2011 at 8:54 pm
(I mean, the dependency/grace part. Not sure where you lie on the Calvinist/Arm scale yet.)
Jud
February 13, 2011 at 9:35 pm
I hesitate to ask lest this thread degenerate into a list of requests, but ask I will nonetheless: would you consider recording the old hymn “Day by Day (and with each passing moment)”? I fell in love with it when I was six years old, and it’s been a comfort beyond measure ever since.
Ron Block
@ronblock February 14, 2011 at 1:02 am
I appreciate the requests and I’ll take those into account when I get a better idea of tunes to do.
I did a live version of What A Friend We Have In Jesus last night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e3bkmf0H0M
Ron Block
@ronblock February 14, 2011 at 1:12 am
Tony from Pandora:
Our basement has always needed a dehumidifier. We had some flooding last May in the basement due to ground water coming up through a drain in the basement, so we took the opportunity to seal the cement block late last year. My vintage Martins have since had some issues with the tops coming up (behind the bridge) and falling (in front of the bridge where the strings are). I didn’t realize how well the sealing was working until I bought a barometer: it was in the high twenties. A friend who owns many old Martins tells me that 45 percent is where the humidity should be kept, and the guitars need to be in their cases when not being played – not hanging on hooks or on stands in the open air of the room. I bought a humidifier today and am keeping my basement now at 45 percent humidity.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Ron
Dan R.
February 15, 2011 at 5:16 pm
Because you said you appreciate the requests…
I don’t know about the theology behind it, but it seems to me that you could do a very good “For the Beauty of the Earth” in this kind of setting. That’s my 2 cents; I hope it’s worth as much or more to you.
Oh, and I’m eagerly anticipating getting at least 2 copies of this cd when it comes out, so thank you in advance
😉
JWitmer
April 5, 2011 at 9:12 am
The arrangement is beautiful, and your playing humbles me in a comforting sort of way. But the tone! Oh, good heavens… surely God intended guitars like that when He invented trees.
I hope you play them a lot. =)
I’m on listen number six, I think. A CD like this would be very welcome in my home.