Hymns and spirituals sung by African American ancestors will be highlighted at the “Celebration of Black History Songs of Praise” featuring Carol Raines-Brown, an anointed worship leader and vocalist.
The program takes place on Sunday, February 27, at 11 a.m., at First Lutheran Church of Venice, located at 815 Venice Blvd., in Los Angeles. The event is free and open to the public.
Shronda Walker, Pam Burnett and Angela Pogues will accompany Raines-Brown. Also performing are Faye Cowart, piano; Valencia Mitchell, violin; Ronald Turner, drums; Daryl Darden; guitar; Kevin O’Neal, bass, and the First Lutheran of Venice Praise band.
Raines-Brown plans to sing an array of gospel favorites including “Amazing Grace,” “I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry,” “Thank you Lord,” “This Little Light of Mine, I’m Gonna Let it Shine,” “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” “He’s An On-time God,” “I Pray for You and Watch God Change Things,” “Wade In Water,” “Sometimes I feel Like a Motherless Child,” and “Yes Jesus Loves Me.”
She will also salute the legacy of Thomas A. Dorsey, known as “The Father of Gospel Music.” Her tribute will contain a rendition of his most enduring composition, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” Other songs on the repertoire will be “Hold To God’s Unchanging Hand,” “Still Away to Jesus” and “The Storm is Passing Over, Hallelujah.”
Explaining the allure of the music, Raines-Brown said, “Spirituals spoke a silent, but powerful message to the enslaved. Spirituals were the light in the time of darkness. It opened doors when it appeared that there was no way out, the hope for freedom and the ‘blessed assurance’ of their everyday lives.
“Even today, the legacy of spirituals speaks and declares to us what God wants to tell us and hymns teach us who God is. Come out and join us and experience the move of God through inspiration, and high praise,” she shared.
“Serving God is my lifestyle,” stressed Raines-Brown. “Therefore, I live by the words in Psalm 139:13-14. ‘I will praise GOD, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’
“Our community is mighty, our children are chosen for greatness, we are smart, brilliant, talented, God fearing, loving and created masterfully in the image of God. As it says in Ephesians 2:10, we are God’s masterpiece,” she added.
“Born to worship and to be world changers. We are wise, and we stand on the shoulders of gentle giants who have, prayed for us and sung the penetrating songs of praise, hymns, and gospel!”
