-Words by Charlotte Elliott, Music by Ashley Welborn, Arranged by Cliff Duren

This is one of my favorite hymns…I guess I was really cut out to be an evangelist’s wife. There are really only two required clichés for evangelist’s wives: That we sing, and that we wear big hair and ungodly amounts of make-up. I would like to personally apologize for perpetuating the stereotype of the “Preacher and the Singer,” but I can’t do anything about the second cliché. I would mimic Tammy Faye at a church harvest event, but that is the only time that much mascara is appropriate. I guess another important thing for an evangelist’s wife to know is all the words to all of the verses of “Just as I Am.” And, I do.

Not only am I an evangelist’s wife, but I am a Baptist Pastor’s daughter. I am drowning in hymn lyrics. I grew up surrounded by the sound of a organ and piano pounding out tunes from the 1800’s. There is some really rich theology to be found in the pages of the hymnal. The writers so often were strong believers with amazing stories. Unfortunately, after we hear the same song over and over again, it will start to lose its bite. Putting a stale favorite to a fresh melody can really bring it to life again. The words of this song are such a beautiful picture of our redemption and our merciful savior. “Just as I am, without one plea” paints a mental picture of a courtroom. There we stand condemned with no plea but guilty, and there he stands with scars in His hands and feet saying, “I’ve paid the debt.” It is unbelievable that He lets us come to Him, but even more astonishing is the fact that we can come just as we are—filthy, dirty, unwashed and unworthy.

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