Another palate cleanser: a view of the fields of the mesa just 3 miles west of my house. Perhaps this will help my system becalm itself after the wreath episode.As a possible entry into claiming who we are and what has shaped us, I hereby invite folks to share three of their favorite hymns--and why, of course. You may define "hymn" very broadly as any spiritual song. Tunes may shape the answers but let's have texts to think about. Doesn't have to be your top three. If you want to name one, that's fine. Seven, that's fine too. It's just an invitation to share our spiritual resources and delight each other.
Very off the top of my head:
1.
#686 in the Hymnal 1982: "Come, thou fount of every blessing" by Robert Robinson, 1735-1790, text somewhat altered (Tune: Nettleton, from A Repository of Sacred Music, Part II, 1813). OK, this is my best friend's favorite, but it's one of mine too. I love the imagery and poetry of it ("streams of mercy never ceasing," "here's my heart, O take and seal it"). The tune just washes over one, like bathing in a fountain of grace and joy. Here's verse three:
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, oh, take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.
What an eloquent restatement of St Paul's discussion of sinning when wanting to do righteousness. We admit our failure while recommitting ourselves in trust to God who is our hope. There is a combination of gritty reality and soaring hope here.
2.
# 782 in Wonder Love and Praise: "Gracious Spirit, give your servants" words by Carl P. Daw, Jr., born 1944 (Tune: Abbot's Leigh by Cyril Vincent Taylor, born 1907). I am a great fan of Daw's hymns and find the tune Abbot's Leigh incredibly stirring. We sang several different texts to this tune at St Cuddy's (it is used twice in Wonder Love and Praise and three times in the Hymnal 1982). Here is the first verse:
Gracious Spirit, give your servants joy to set sin's captives free,
hope to heal the broken-hearted, peace to share love's liberty.
Through us bring your balm of gladness to the wounded and oppressed;
help us claim and show God's favor as a people called and blessed.
I like how it helps us recognize and claim our vocation to follow Jesus in making Isaiah's prophecy a reality in people's lives and that it operates out of a "theology of abundance." We are called, blessed, gifted, and graced to serve.
3.
# 761 in Wonder Love and Praise, "All who hunger gather gladly" by Sylvia G. Dunstan , 1955-1993 (Tune: Holy Manna from The Southern Harmony, 1835). The text is (c) 1991 by GIA Publications, Inc. I trust that sharing the second verse with you falls under fair use and may encourage sales of WLP, a supplement to the Hymnal 1982 that has some lovely hymns in it.
All who hunger, never strangers,
seeker, be a welcome guest.
Come from restlessness and roaming.
Here, in joy we keep the feast.
We that once were lost and scattered
in communion's love have stood.
Taste and see the grace eternal.
Taste and see that God is good.
That, methinks, requires no comment. What divine hospitality!
For the bonus round: Personent hodie in Latin and sung vigorously with a strong beat, and St Patrick's Breastplate (# 370 in the Hymnal 1982).
Anyone care to join in? If you post at your own place, do be so kind as to let me know. Thanks!
--the BB
10 comments:
1) "God on His Birthday." I think it's in the Australian hymnal; not sure. We used to sing it at my interfaith community.
Why? Last verse and final chorus:
Sing all creation, made for his purposes,
Called by his providence to live and move:
None is unwanted, none insignificant,
Love needs a universe of folk to love.
Old men and maidens, young men and children,
Black ones and colored ones and white ones too,
God on his birthday, and to eternity,
God took upon himself the need of you.
Full text here. The racial language is antiquated for us, but I don't think it's meant to be. I love it because it's all about co-creation.
2) I don't know the page #, but it's in WLP: "Taste and See." Because it invites us, as we are, into God. I could say more with the text in front of me.
3) (How many Easter Troparions are there?)
Christ has risen from the dead,
trampling down death by death,
and on those in the tombs bestowing life
Bestowing life!
I'll have to look up the page # for the specific tune I'm singing in my head. (Not the version St. Gregory's sings; the other one.) It's joyful, triumphant, and fun to stamp along to.
Thanks for this; it was fun.
Thanks for sharing!
"Taste and see" is #764 in WLP. A paraphrase of Psalm 34 by James E. Moore, Jr., who also composed the music. (c) 1994 GIA Publications, Inc.
There are many settings of that Easter Troparion. I love hearing it sung over and over for about half an hour at Greek or Russian Orthodox Vigils. I know the texts in both langaages but the tune only in Russian.
Teach me the Russian! I took three years, in high school; I can read the alphabet.
I have WLP, but can't find it; it's either in a box (God help me) or at A's. The tune in my head is what we use at school; if I could sing it to you, you'd know it in a minute.
One of my favorite random "spiritual songs" is here. I give it to everyone I burn a CD for.
O, for a thousand tounges to sing. Being that I'm a singer and a former Methodist. That's numero uno on my hymn hit parade.
Then there's For all the saints, who from their labors rest. Because I said so.
"Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing" is one of my faves too and one where I can sing the bass line if I have it in front of me. Yes, yes. I love "For all the saints" too. There seem to be lots of overlapping favorites.
Thanks for joining in, Sister.
I know I'm late but can I join the party?
Another lover of 'Come, thou fount,' here. I always need the 2nd verse before I can sing the 3rd...
Here I raise mine Ebenezer
hither by thy help I've come;
And I hope by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed his precious blood.
I love the original words, from the Methodist hymnal. And I know this is maudlin, but it helps me when I think about my mother, who died a year ago. She loved the hymn, too.
It will be part of my funeral mass, along with 'What wondrous love is this' and 'Jerusalem, my happy home' with the words from the 1940 hymnal.
It's never too late to join the party, susan s!
Yes, yes, I love all the verses and I love the original Ebenezer (stone of help) which some older hymnals used for the name of the tune.
I'm also a big fan of What wondrous love is this, which I first got to know on an LP (yes, pre-compact discs) called Rivers of Delight.
Thanks for joining in!
Come one, come all.
Susan! Sushi. Soon.
Yes, Kirstin. How much longer will you be in town before school lets out?
12/14. If you can do Wednesdays, next week would be good. (I have a final, and a final project due, that Friday.)
I'll also be back and forth between here and Stockton (best friend lives there, God help her) for the last half of December. We'll work something out.
I'm in NOLA all of January; bit of a commute.
[Thanks, Buddhapalian. Since you're hosting this--we met at the Ranch, during Reading Week. I was working, and her choir came up.]
Post a Comment