Keep Your Lamps Trimmed

Have you ever sung "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning"?

African American spirituals are among the great treasures of American worship. They are born out of the tragic (and, let's be honest, wicked) oppression of Black Americans by white Americans—often Christians themselves. Spirituals are full of powerful emotions — especially joy, pain, and yearning.

They also are often deeply biblical, inviting the singer to enter into the experience of the Bible. "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed," is a great example. When you sing it, you inhabit the…