Pass It On

I recently sponsored two ladies on a Lutheran Via de Cristo retreat.  The weekend always closes with everyone gathered in a circle, singing Pass It On.  I looked up the history of this well-known Christian song.

Pass it On was written by Mr. Kurt Kaiser, a Christian composer who has received many awards for his music.  Here is his account of how he got the idea for the song.

 “In 1969, Ralph Carmichael and I collaborated on a musical, Tell It Like It Is. It was written to get young people involved in the Church. After reviewing what we had written, we decided there needed to be a closer, a modern ‘Just As I Am’ [a hymn by Charlotte Elliott written in 1835, and a favorite of Evangelicals for altar calls].

 

On a Sunday night I was sitting in our den by the fireplace where there were remnants of a fire, and it occurred to me that it only takes a spark to get a fire going . . . and the rest came very quickly. My wife suggested that I should say something about shouting it from mountain tops, and that ended up in the third verse. It only took about 20 minutes to write the lyrics. Afterwards my wife and I went for a walk, letting the song ruminate in our minds.”

This simple song has influenced many.  Let the words sink into your heart as well.