The
words and music for this hymn are by Graham Kendrick b. 1950, one of the most
prolific and popular modern hymn composers. He began writing songs and leading
worship in his late teens, and has been associated with many UK church
movements and events. The first song of his to gain widespread popularity was “Shine Jesus, Shine” but God of the poor
is also very popular. Like Blake’s hymn, Jerusalem (see yesterday's post), it encourages us to link our faith and daily life, calling us to work
with God in setting right a world in which much is wrong. He is still very
active and has recently been developing an approach to singing Scripture called
Psalm Surfing.
·Looking
at the news today, what subjects do you think we should be singing about now?
William Blake’s now famous hymn started life as a rather
obscure poem. Blake (1757-1827) was a poet, artist and visionary, who was very
little regarded in his own lifetime. He lived most of his life in London, where
he was very aware of the gulf between the rich and poor. As the Industrial
Revolution took hold, the lot of many of the urban poor was particularly grim. “Jerusalem” was inspired by the legend
that Jesus came to Glastonbury as a child with Joseph of Arimathea, who the
legend insisted was his uncle (though there is absolutely no evidence for
either of these ideas.)
The stirring tune was written by Hubert Parry (1848-1918)
(See Day 15). It was originally written for the “Fight for Right” campaign,
intended to drum up support for WW1, but Parry grew uneasy about the war, and
withdrew permission for its use by the campaign. At the request of Millicent
Fawcett of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, Parry orchestrated
it instead for a Suffrage Demonstration concert in 1918. When the vote was won
and the organisation was wound up, he gave the copyright to the Women’s
Institute, and has become strongly identified with them ever since, giving
their meetings the nickname of “Jam and Jerusalem”.
And did those feet in ancient time
walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
on England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
among these dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
till we have built Jerusalem
in England's green and pleasant land.
·How do
you feel about your homeland? How can we properly love the place in which we
live?
“Swing low, sweet chariot” is an African American
spiritual, which is thought to have been written by a former slave called
Wallis Willis. “Steal away to Jesus”
is also believed to be by him. He had become a Choctaw Freedman, one of a group
of ex-slaves who were granted citizenship after the American Civil war in the
Choctaw Nation, a Native American tribe.
Some
sources claim that this song, and Steal
Away, contain coded references to the underground railroad – the escape
route for slaves from the South to the North of the USA. Its Biblical
foundation, though, is in the story of the Old Testament prophet Elijah.
Instead of dying, according to the Bible, he was taken up to heaven in a fiery
chariot, a sign of God’s favour on him. ( 2 Kings 2.11)
African
American slaves endured such suffering that sometimes the only way to keep hope
alive was to remind themselves that this injustice was not eternal, and that
God saw them not as slaves but as his children, worthy of honour and respect.
They might not see justice this side of the grave, but it would come.
“Swing Low” has continued to give hope
and encouragement to people suffering injustice. It has also, rather bizarrely,
become the anthem of the England Rugby team, allegedly after a group of boys
from Douai school, sang it at a match in 1988 (probably not quite as reverently
as it was meant to be sung…)
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
I looked over Jordan, and what did I see?
(Coming for to carry me home)
I saw a band of angels coming after me
(Coming for to carry me home)
If you get there before I do
(Coming for to carry me home)
Tell all my friends, I'm coming too
(Coming for to carry me home)
Have you ever come to a point in your life when it
was important for you to know that despite the immediate circumstances,
ultimately God would be “coming for to carry you home” ?
This
American hymn owes its writing to an attempt to Christianise (and perhaps
redeem?) a popular song of the American Civil War. “John Brown’s body lies a mouldering in his grave” was written by
Unionist troops partly in tribute to the abolitionist, John Brown, but also in
a mocking reference to a John Brown in their own battalion. The chorus “Glory, glory, hallelujah” was commonly
sung at revivalist camp meetings.
Julia
Ward Howe, (1819-1910) a campaigner against slavery and for women’s suffrage
was challenged by a friend to write new words for the song, after she and her
husband had visited a Union camp by the Potomac river in Washington DC and
heard soldiers singing John Brown’ Body. . The hymn was published in 1862 and quickly
became one of the most popular songs of the Unionist campaign during the
American Civil War.
Ward
Howe continued to campaign for social justice, peace and women’s rights
throughout her long life. Her marriage was an unhappy one, and this may have
been a factor in inspiring her to give a voice to women and other oppressed
groups which still resonates today.
Mine eyes have seen the glory
of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the
vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful
lightning of His terrible swift sword;
Martin Luther’s “Ein Fest Burg” begins this week of
hymns of protest and encouragement. It wasn’t written as a liturgical hymn to
be sung in church, but rather as a song of encouragement in the struggles
Luther was having with the Catholic Church. Luther (1483-1546) had been an
Augustinian monk, but growing theological concerns and anger at the corruption
of the Church had caused him to protest against its abuses. The reactions were
violent, and his break from the Church was bitter. A Safe Stronghold was a hymn of defiance, probably written before
the Diet (meeting) of Speyer, when a number of German princes who supported him
protested to the Emperor at the suppression of religious liberty (which is why
Luther’s movement was known as Protestant).
The song became a rallying
cry for Protestants and an anthem of German nationalism too. An early
translation into English by Miles Coverdale in 1538 never gained popularity,
and there have been at least 47 attempts at translating it since. The
translation most commonly sung in England is by Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), who
said of the hymn “There is something in
it like the sound of Alpine avalanches or the first murmur of earthquakes; in
the very vastness of which dissonance a higher unison is revealed to us.”
The tune was also written by
Luther,who probably intended it to be sung at a lively pace. English congregations have a tendency to make rather heavy weather of it and turn it into a dirge! It was incorporated into the 4th movement of Mendelssohn's 5th Symphony, "The Reformation Symphony", in which the bass notes are supplied by a contrabassoon and a serpent, imitating the organ pedals. There is a recording here. https://youtu.be/AqdcnNYROLo
A safe stronghold our God is
still,
a trusty shield and weapon;
he'll keep us clear from all
the ill
that hath us now o'ertaken.
The ancient prince of hell
hath risen with purpose fell;
strong mail of craft and
power
he weareth in this hour;
on earth is not his fellow.
With force of arms we nothing
can,
full soon were we
down-ridden;
but for us fights the proper
Man
whom God himself hath bidden.
Ask ye who is this same?
Christ Jesus is his name,
the Lord Sabaoth's Son;
he, and no other one,
shall conquer in the battle.
·Have you ever felt under attack? Would this hymn have
helped remind you of God’s presence with you? What are the dangers of a hymn
like this?
Although
long popular in the USA, this hymn was not often found in British hymn books
until the 1970’s when a recording of it by the pipes and drums of the RoyalScots Dragoon Guards went to No.1 and stayed there for nine weeks.
Its
author, John Newton, was a significant figure in the English Evangelical
revival of the 18th Century. His father was a shipping merchant and
his mother died when he was young. He was sent to sea at the age of 11. His
career was dogged by his own insubordination – at one point he was punished by
being forced to work on a plantation in Sierra Leone – but by the time he was 22
he was the captain of a slave ship himself. A violent storm caused him to turn
to God, and eventually he gave up the slave trade (though not straight away).
He
became friendly with John Wesley and George Whitfield, the leaders of the
Methodist movement. He was ordained and became curate at Olney in
Bucks, where his preaching, earthed in the tough realities of his early life,
connected with the mostly illiterate parishioners of the village. He produced a collection of hymns there in
collaboration with the poet, William Cowper, including “How Sweet the name of Jesus sounds”, and “Glorious things of thee are spoken”. The hymn reflects his
profound awareness of the change which his faith had made to his life. It can
feel rather negative to sing about being “a wretch”, but given his direct
involvement in the slave trade, it isn’t an unreasonable thing for him to say
about himself. For that reason the hymn can speak powerfully to anyone who
knows they have messed up (which is all of us at some time or other!).
The
tune to which we now sing the hymn is probably based on an American folk tune,
possibly Scottish in origin.
Amazing
grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I
once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas
grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How
precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believ'd!
Thro'
many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis
grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The
Lord has promis'd good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He
will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
·How do you feel about
calling yourself a “wretch”? Is it helpful honesty, or unhelpful negativity?
A bumper crop of videos today, exploring Amazing Grace in many different styles and settings.
The video below is of Amazing Grace being sung in a church which still uses the "lining out" techniques common in the 17th and 18th centuries - see Day 3 of this series. It still hangs on in some parts of the US,
This
is one of the many fine metrical psalms which appeared in the Psalter produced
by Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady in 1696. “The
Lord’s my shepherd”, and “As pants
the hart” are two others. Nahum Tate (1652-1715), who seems to have written
this hymn himself, was an aspiring poet, who had come to London from Dublin. To
make a living he translated French and Latin texts for publishers, and wrote
and adapted plays, including Shakespeare’s – he rewrote King Lear to give it a
happy ending. He also wrote the libretto for Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas”. He
became Poet Laureate in 1692, but later became an alcoholic and died in a
debtors’ refuge in the Royal Mint. This hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 34, which
is a psalm of praise to God in the face of difficulties. It is easy to praise
God when all is going well, but it is when times are hard that our trust in him
is really vital.
The
tune, Wiltshre, was written by Sir
George Smart, (1776-1867) when he was just 19 and organist at St James Chapel
London. In Scottish tradition it is known as New St Ann and is one of the tunes
to which “The Lord’s my Shepherd” is
sung. Metrical Psalm tunes were often used interchangeably.
Through
all the changing scenes of life,
in
trouble and in joy,
the
praises of my God shall still
my
heart and tongue employ.
O
magnify the Lord with me,
with
me exalt his name;
when
in distress to him I called,
he
to my rescue came.
The
hosts of God encamp around
the
dwellings of the just;
deliverance
he affords to all
who
on his succour trust.
O
make but trial of his love,
experience
will decide
how
blest are they, and only they,
who
in his truth confide!
Fear
him, ye saints, and you will then
have
nothing else to fear;
make
you his service your delight,
your
wants shall be his care.
To
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
the
God whom we adore,
be
glory, as it was, is now,
and
shall be evermore.
·How easy do you find it to
trust God when life seems to be going wrong?
It used to be believed that this hymn, so often sung
at funerals, was written when its author Revd. Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) was
on his deathbed. It now seems, though, that its composition was prompted by the
death of one of Lyte’s friends, Augustus le Hunte, when Lyte was 27. The dying
man kept repeating the phrase “abide with me” when Lyte visited him, and Lyte
turned this phrase into a hymn. Lyte was the vicar of the parish of Lower
Brixham, a thriving Devon fishing village. He was also a prolific hymn writer.
“Abide with me” wasn’t published until after his death, however. He seems to
have given the manuscript to a relative just before he left Brixham for Italy,
where he died just two months later from consumption, giving rise to the
deathbed legend.
The original tune, composed by Lyte himself, was
supplanted by “Monks”, the tune which is always used now, when Hymns Ancient
and Modern was first compiled in 1861. William Henry Monk (1823-89),
organist at Stoke Newington was asked to compose a new tune for it. According
to legend he only took ten minutes to write it, following a committee meeting
of the compilers, while strolling in the evening sunshine with his wife.
The
hymn, to Monk’s tune, became very popular, and was much sung (and parodied)
during WW1. It is said that Edith Cavell sung it on the eve of her execution
with the British Chaplain who had been allowed to visit her in prison in
German-occupied Belgium. It has also been sung at the beginning of the FA cup
final since 1927. No one seems entirely sure why it was this hymn which was
chosen, but it may be that those who had once sung it in the trenches found
that it was a good way of remembering those friends who might once have stood
on the terraces with them, but hadn’t made it home.
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows
flee;
The latests
editions of inReview and inFocus are now available to download
Our aim is to keep people in touch with the activities
of the Archbishops’ Council, Church Commissioners, the Pensions
Board and other bodies which serve the Church at national level.
inReview
April's
edition of inReview, including Bishops on a mission
across Durham, Godparents' Sunday, Live Lent and more, is available
here.
inFocus
May's
edition of inFocus, including how to boost
confidence in evangelism and more, is available here (a 4 page version is
available here)
Like
many hymns of lament and devotion, this hymn has a personal story behind it. Charlotte Elliot (1789-1871) was the daughter
of a silk merchant. In her early 30s she suffered an illness which left her
permanently disabled, weak and depressed – she had been a gifted artist and
writer of humorous verse. She lived with
her brother, a clergyman, and one day, frustrated at her inability to help with
parish tasks, and struggling to know how she could be any use to God, she
remembered the words of a visiting preacher to her many years before, that she
could come to God, “just as she was”.
She wrote the hymn (originally a poem) that day.
Just as I am is sung to several
tunes. Woodworth (1849) , by William Bradbury is the earliest and most popular
across the world, but hymn books commonly used in the Church of England usually
set it to Misericordia (1875 Henry Thomas Smart) or Saffron Walden (1877)
written by Arthur Henry Brown.
Just as I am, without one plea,
but
that thy blood was shed for me,
and
that thou bidd'st me come to thee,
O
Lamb of God, I come.
[Just
as I am, and waiting not
to
rid my soul of one dark blot,
to
thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O
Lamb of God, I come.]
Just
as I am, though tossed about
with
many a conflict, many a doubt;
fightings
and fears within, without,
O
Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
sight,
riches, healing of the mind, yea, all I need, in thee to find, O Lamb of God, I
come.
Just
as I am, thou wilt receive;
wilt
welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
because
thy promise I believe,
O
Lamb of God, I come.
Just
as I am, thy love unknown
has
broken every barrier down;
now
to be thine, yea, thine alone,
O
Lamb of God, I come.
Just
as I am, of that free love
the
breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
here
for a season, then above:
O
Lamb of God, I come.
Do you feel you can come to
God “just as you are”, or do you hang back, not feeling worthy?
This
modern song was first published in 1986, by David J Evans (b. 1957, Dartford),
a music teacher from Southampton. He has written other hymns, but this is the
only one to have gained widespread popularity, and is one of the few modern
hymns to be widely known outside the circle of regular churchgoers.
What
is the clue to its popularity? It might be the fairly simple structure, each
verse starting in the same way with the words, “Be still”. It might be the
message – stillness is a precious commodity in our very busy lives. Whatever it
is, the hymn is rich in material for reflection. It is primarily based on the
story of Jacob (Genesis 28.10-22). On the run from home because he had cheated
his brother Esau out of his birthright, he lay down in what felt like the middle
of nowhere to him and slept. While he slept he dreamed of a ladder between
earth and heaven, and angels coming and going on it. When he woke he exclaimed “Surely the Lord was in this place and I did
not know it.” Genesis 28.16. There are also allusions to the story of Moses
and the burning bush (Exodus 3.5), and perhaps also to the story of Jesus’
Transfiguration (Matthew 17.5)
Which of the many images in
this hymn speaks most strongly to you – God’s holiness, God’s splendour, God’s
healing and transforming power?
As with some other modern hymns in this series, copyright issues mean I can't include the lyrics here, but you can listen to the hymn at the link below.
This hymn, often sung during Holy Week, is by Isaac Watts(1674- 1747). He was born in Southampton, the son of an elder in an Independent
(Congregational) Church, and later became a minister himself. Watts was one of
the earliest English hymn writers, part of an early wave of hymn composition
after the religious upheavals of the Reformation and Civil War. He is sometimes
known as the father of English hymnody.
Up until this point, only metrical psalms, using the words
of the Bible, were normally sung in church. Watts’ hymns introduced a new
subjective religious expression – this is reputedly the first English hymn to
use the personal pronoun “I”. Contemplating the crucifixion from a personal
perspective had been a common feature of medieval personal devotion, but it was
a new idea to write a congregational hymn like this. Watts wrote this as a
communion hymn, and it first appeared in 1707.
The tune, Rockingham, was first printed in a collection
published in 1790. Apparently the hymn was earlier sung to a tune called
Tunbridge, but had originally been sung to a version of Tallis’ Canon (Glory to thee my God this night.)
When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the death of Christ, my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe, Spreads o’er His body on the tree; Then I am dead to all the globe, And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
·If you
could “survey the wondrous cross” today, what would you want to say in
response?
The
Diocese of Rochester is engaged in Our Conversation; Our
Future to help us develop a new strategic
framework. These conversations will help Bishop James and his
team discern God's will for the Diocese.
Diocesan Synod was given a flavour of the activities
and responses to Our
Conversation; Our Future at their meeting on Saturday
18 March.
Members from Penge, Twydall, Tonbridge and Bexley shared their
experiences of meetings, lent courses, house group sessions,
worship and preaching and more.
We want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to
speak and be heard.
You can respond to Our
Conversation; Our Future through the website, by email, by writing to us, or more
creatively.
We'd like responses by Easter please, so we can begin the
discernment process.
Our Conversation; Our Future is built on a foundation of
prayer.
Please continue to remember these conversations, and all who are
taking part in them, in your prayers.
The prayer (left) written for this can be found on the website and in the toolkit.
Printed copies of the Place In the Crowd course and
course leaders books are available to order online or from the Diocesan
Office.
If you use Twitter, search for #PlaceInTheCrowd to join the
conversation, see how others are using the course materials, and
other resources you might consider.
Hear how one church discussed Our Conversation; Our
Future during their evening service with young people.
