Hymn Story: The King’s Business
Elijah Taylor Cassel wrote “The King’s Business” in 1902.
Cassel was born on November 27, 1849 in Indiana. At a young age his family moved to Nebraska. He completed a medical education and practiced in Hastings, Nebraska. Cassel married Flora Hamilton and both were talented musicians. Around 1910, he left his medical practice for the ministry and served a church in Denver, Colorado.
Sometime around 1917, while returning a buggy, Flora Casel stood on the running board and the horses somehow became spooked. She was pulled to her death.
Elijah Cassel later went on to move Anna Mae Cassel and served additional churches.
He died on July 3, 1930 and Anna Mae in 1949.
Dear Diana, I am Bob Winn (B.S. Philadelphia College of Bible ’77/Th.M. Dallas Theological Seminary ’81) … soon to be 70 year old pastor of a small church in rural Weissert, Nebraska. I am taking a moment to tell you how much I enjoy your hymn stories. I have been reading (and often using) them. I am a lover of the old hymns, and I try to tell at least one hymn story each week as part of our worship service … always one of the hymns I have chosen to coordinate with the theme of my message for that morning. I will be using your (7/16/23) submission about E.T. Cassel and “The King’s Business,” which is also called “I Am a Stranger Here” in a rather different way. My wife’s mom, Anna Romaine (Long) Evans is 97 years old. She lives alone in Ellicott City, Maryland., but still drives all over metro-Baltimore by herself and still plays piano weekly for her church. She is quite simply, the best church pianist I have ever heard. [btw. If you would like a copy of her CD … created unbeknownst to her by the sound man at her church … just send me an email address] She has perfect pitch, and she has the ability to play by memory way more than every hymn you or I would know … in whatever key you might request. She trained musically on piano at Peabody Conservatory back in the early forties. Then, she was a student at Moody Bible Institute, when my wife’s dad (just returned from Germany during WW2) swept her off her feet and away from Moody. So, earlier this week, she called me to find out if I could find anything about a hymn with the words “O Be Reconciled to God.” She has no computer or smart phone, so she is always overly amazed at what I can find on the computer. She thinks I am somehow extremely intelligent, even though my wife and I tell her that any 12 year old can do what I do … and likely faster. So, yesterday I called to read to her all of the words of this hymn, and I confirmed that she was correct that it would likely be in the keys of E Major and/or Eflat Major. She began to cry on the phone … thanking me for my help and thanking the Lord for the music and for the memory that had come into her mind just a few days ago … after 80 years.
I said all of that to say to you … “What you are doing is noticed and much appreciated.” Bob Winn [robertwinn@gmail.com]
p.s. I read about your varied ministries in your side column. If a need for information ever arises, my wife and I are experts (by sad default) in the field of parental and grandparental alienation, and I am a volunteer consultant for an organization called “Alienated Grandparents Anonymous.” Three of our four children are TOTALLY alienating us … including denying us ANY contact with all nine of our grandchildren. Aside from pastoring our little rural church, this is our “ministry” at the present time.
Wow! Thank you for sharing. What a blessing Mrs. Anna is and your ministry.
So sorry to hear about the difficulties in your family, though. Prayers!