About the Song Writer:
John W. Peterson (November 1, 1921 – September 20, 2006) was a songwriter who had a major influence on evangelical Christian music in the 1950s through the 1970s. He wrote over 1000 songs, and 35 cantatas.
Born in Lindsborg, Kansas, he served as an Army Air Force pilot flying the China Hump during World War II. Later, he attended Moody Bible Institute and served on the radio staff there for a number of years.
In 1953, he graduated from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and shortly thereafter settled in Pennsylvania to continue his song writing career. He then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where for over ten years he was President and Editor-in-Chief of Singspiration, a sacred music publishing company. While there, he compiled and edited a hymnal called “Great Hymns of the Faith”, (c) 1961. He also served on the board of Gospel Films, Inc. of Muskegon, Michigan.
He also had direct contact with popular Christian musicians of the day such as Bill Pearce and Dick Anthony. He resided in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he continued to write music. Peterson died September 20, 2006, aged 84, following a bout with prostate cancer.
Some of his more popular song titles include “It Took a Miracle”, “Over the Sunset Mountains”, “Heaven Came Down”, “So Send I You”, “Springs of Living Water”, “Jesus is Coming Again”, “Surely Goodness and Mercy” and “This is the day that the Lord hath made”. His cantatas include Night of Miracles and Down From His Glory.
In 1986, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Story Behind the Song:
This wonderful song was written in the summer of 1961 inspired by an event that took place at the Montrose Bible Conference Grounds in Montrose, Pennsylvania. In one of the testimonies, the song writer John W. Peterson said that “During one of the sessions an opportunity for a time of personal testimonies was given the audience, and an old man called Jim rose to his feet and told of his conversion experience. In describing that night when he met Christ, he used the phrase ‘It seemed like Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.’
“Right away John W. Peterson sensed that it would be a fine title for a song, so, John wrote it down and later in the week completed the song. It became a favorite almost immediately.”
The song born that day in 1961 has blessed the hearts of people worldwide. John W. Peterson wrote more than one thousand songs and fifteen cantatas that have sold more than three million copies. But this song is one of the most beloved among Christians. I remember singing this song during the scripture union meetings in the mid 1980s.
