One melody, three hymns
Oct. 4th, 2009 12:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
velvetpageI've loved this melody since I first came across it at the age of eleven. That first time, I was visiting my aunt's Anglican church in Crystal Beach, Ontario, and the words that spoke to me so deeply were the traditional words of the Anglican hymnal:
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray.
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray.
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
It was some years later that I came across the more popular (at least in North America) hymn, Be Thou My Vision. The memory I associate with these words is from my sister-in-law's wedding, on a fall day not so different from this one. I know I had already sung this hymn by then, but the association still holds for me. It never spoke to me as fully as the Anglican hymn did, maybe because I was already developing at the time a faith that emphasized interconnectedness over any concept of a One True Way.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Unsurprisingly, the Unitarians have taken this beautiful melody and set their own words to it. As I was singing them this morning, I was struck by the similarity in theme of these words to the original hymn. Both are about the divine permeating every facet of life, awaking in us a responsibility to care for our world because God cares for it and has charged us with it. While the first is pastoral and childlike in its trust, this version is broader, encompassing, not just our own lives and communities, but every being in the universe.
Wake, now, my senses, and hear the earth call;
Feel the deep power of being in all;
Keep, with the web of creation your vow,
Giving, receiving as love shows us how.
Wake, now my reason, reach out to the new;
Join with each pilgrim who quests for the true
Honor the beauty and wisdom of time;
Suffer thy limit, and praise the sublime.
Wake, now, compassion, give heed to the cry;
Voices of suffering fill the wide sky;
Take as your neighbor both stranger and friend,
Praying and striving their hardship to end.
Wake, now, my conscience, with justice thy guide
Join with all people whose rights are denied;
Take not for granted a privileged place;
God's love embraces the whole human race.
Wake, now, my vision of ministry clear;
Brighten my pathway with radiance here;
Mingle my calling with all who will share;
Work toward a planet transformed by our care.
If I were choosing an anthem for my faith at different points in my life, I would likely skip right over "Be Thou My Vision," because during the years of young adulthood when that was my vision, I didn't know that version of the hymn. But both the first and the last have been anthems for my changing faith. It's good to recognize that I haven't left everything behind; there are themes that carry through, ideas that spoke to me at the age of eleven and still do. They've matured and broadened, as I have myself. And they still speak to continuity and interconnectedness.
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray.
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray.
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
It was some years later that I came across the more popular (at least in North America) hymn, Be Thou My Vision. The memory I associate with these words is from my sister-in-law's wedding, on a fall day not so different from this one. I know I had already sung this hymn by then, but the association still holds for me. It never spoke to me as fully as the Anglican hymn did, maybe because I was already developing at the time a faith that emphasized interconnectedness over any concept of a One True Way.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Unsurprisingly, the Unitarians have taken this beautiful melody and set their own words to it. As I was singing them this morning, I was struck by the similarity in theme of these words to the original hymn. Both are about the divine permeating every facet of life, awaking in us a responsibility to care for our world because God cares for it and has charged us with it. While the first is pastoral and childlike in its trust, this version is broader, encompassing, not just our own lives and communities, but every being in the universe.
Wake, now, my senses, and hear the earth call;
Feel the deep power of being in all;
Keep, with the web of creation your vow,
Giving, receiving as love shows us how.
Wake, now my reason, reach out to the new;
Join with each pilgrim who quests for the true
Honor the beauty and wisdom of time;
Suffer thy limit, and praise the sublime.
Wake, now, compassion, give heed to the cry;
Voices of suffering fill the wide sky;
Take as your neighbor both stranger and friend,
Praying and striving their hardship to end.
Wake, now, my conscience, with justice thy guide
Join with all people whose rights are denied;
Take not for granted a privileged place;
God's love embraces the whole human race.
Wake, now, my vision of ministry clear;
Brighten my pathway with radiance here;
Mingle my calling with all who will share;
Work toward a planet transformed by our care.
If I were choosing an anthem for my faith at different points in my life, I would likely skip right over "Be Thou My Vision," because during the years of young adulthood when that was my vision, I didn't know that version of the hymn. But both the first and the last have been anthems for my changing faith. It's good to recognize that I haven't left everything behind; there are themes that carry through, ideas that spoke to me at the age of eleven and still do. They've matured and broadened, as I have myself. And they still speak to continuity and interconnectedness.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-04 05:01 pm (UTC)Make that four!
Date: 2009-10-04 05:06 pm (UTC)I used that tune for my Easter hymn as part of NaPoWriMo this year: http://melstra.livejournal.com/237863.html The sentiment is not one with which you will agree of course (Easter being one of the few times I tend to allow myself to get caught up in the Jesus-fervor, if you will) but perhaps you will appreciate the poetry since I think it fits well with the melody.
It's lovely that you are able to find hymns that fit so well withe your evolving faith journey. I love it when I find a new one that speaks to me as well.
Re: Make that four!
Date: 2009-10-04 05:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-04 05:15 pm (UTC)