The Music & the Spoken Word broadcast airs live via TV, radio, and internet stream on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. mountain time. For information on other airtimes, visit “Airing Schedules” at musicandthespokenword.org.

Music

Conductors: Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy
Organist: Brian Mathias
Announcer: Lloyd Newell

“Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah”
Music: John Hughes
Lyrics: William Williams
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

“Hark, All Ye Nations!”¹
Music: George F. Root
Lyrics: Louis F. Mönch

“Venite” (organ solo)
Music: John Leavitt

“Have I Done Any Good?”¹
Music and Lyrics: Will L.Thompson
Arrangement: David A. Zabriskie

“My God Is So High”
Music and Lyrics: African-American spiritual
Arrangement: Ryan Murphy

“Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from The Sound of Music²
Music: Richard Rogers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Arrangement: Arthur Harris

“All Creatures of Our God and King”¹
Music: German hymn tune
Lyrics: St. Francis of Assisi; trans. William H. Draper
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

1. From the album Let Us All Press On. 
2. From the album America’s Choir.

The Spoken Word

Running with Faith

(Recorded outside Belfast, Northern Ireland with Jason Smyth).

Here in Northern Ireland, the countryside is famously green and fertile, nourished by beautiful rivers and lakes. But sometimes when a coastal fog settles in, even locals lose sight of familiar landmarks. At such times, we are reminded that faith is believing in things we cannot see.1

Jason Smyth, who lives just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland, with his wife and two daughters, has long believed in things he cannot fully see. Jason is a world-class runner and sprinter, the fastest man in Northern Ireland’s history. He also has a visual impairment. Jason is unbeaten in 15 years of Paralympic competition. He has 20 championship gold medals, including six gold medals in the Paralympics, and has set world records in both the 100- and 200-meter races.

It all began when a high school teacher saw something in him that Jason did not see in himself.

Jason Smyth:
“When I was in high school a school teacher encouraged me to go along to an athletics club. But if I’m honest I wasn’t that interested, but for some reason I decided to go along.

“And that changed the direction of my life. I would never be where I am today without that school teacher. You can never underestimate the positive influence another person can have on your life.”

In traveling and training throughout the world, Jason has learned other important lessons along the way—lessons about more than just running fast.

Jason Smyth:
“My advice is to go for your dreams! There will always be reasons why not, but if you never try you will never know. And it is that example that I try to set for my daughters because I would rather them see me try and fail than never try at all.”

The courage to try when the path ahead is unclear, the courage to pursue that which is beyond our sight—this is faith. And Jason attributes much of his success on the track—and in life—to his faith.

Jason Smyth:
“I always say a prayer before a race, and I believe my faith is one of my greatest strengths as why I’ve been as successful as I have been. The attributes and characteristics of success for me align nicely to my faith and what I stand for.

“I work hard, but I also trust God. It’s that knowledge that lets me know that everything will work out if I just do my very best, the best I can.”

1. See Hebrews 11:1.