Then Jesus came from Galilee

Then Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John,

Who in the Jordan's rolling flow did baptize those who came.

But John did question whether this request he should act on;

"You should baptize me here instead, in your own holy name."

 

But Jesus answered "Let this be, for this is right to do

To fulfill this one righteous call for all the world to see."

Then John consented to this task, in trust that Jesus knew

That he should carry out this work and what his role should be.

 

And then once Jesus was baptized and then raised up again,

He saw the heavens opened up and down the Spirit came.

Alighting like a dove, the Spirit cried out through the din,

"This is my Son, Beloved One, who goes forth in my name."

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, December 2025

MUSIC: Tune KINGSFOLD, English Country Songs, 1893; harmonization Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.

 

 

A reworking of a hymn from almost two years ago, written to suit the account of Jesus's baptism in the gospel of Mark. Matthew's account goes into rather more detail than Mark's but the basic structure still worked. 

The road of resurrection

The road of resurrection, we walk it every day

As we set out to follow on Jesus's steady way.

From childhood we are learning, with sure and steady stride,

To keep on moving forward and stay at Jesus's side.

 

We walk the road in living a witness as we go,

With words and deeds that honor the One who loves us so.

Our steps may be uncertain, but still our guide is sure

And holds us close for always, to teach us to endure.

 

We walk the road in standing with those the world lays low,

The widow, poor, and orphan, the "least of these" also.

Unflinchingly for justice, with mercy as our call, 

We walk the road in witness to Christ, our all in all. 

 

We walk the road in living in God's community,

With Christ our sole salvation, who gives us eyes to see.

Held in this full communion, rejoicing on the way, 

We walk this road together until our dying day.

 

And yet, though laid to rest wrapped in God's encircling earth,

This is no termination - no ending, but rebirth!

For when this life is over and we no longer roam,

The road of resurrection at last will lead us home. 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, December 2025

MUSIC: Tune AURELIA, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1864.

 

 

I have no clue why this hymn happened as it did, when it did. I'ts not exactly Advent-ish, you know? But I think maybe a conference theme got in my head, and then ever-trustworthy AURELIA came along to provide a tune home for all the words that started coming forth. I'm just getting this committed to print (so to speak) before it goes away.

The disciples saw the Temple

The disciples saw the Temple, beautiful, with massive stone.

But their Master spoke of ruin; broken, shattered, razed and gone.

So they questioned Jesus sorely, wondering when such times might be;

And he gave them this in answer, teaching them that they might see:

 

"You see wars and insurrections; these will come, this is for sure;

See these earthquakes, plagues and famines, such disasters to endure.

You will all see persecution, prisons, trial by would-be kings;

I will give you words of answer when you undergo these things."

 

We may read these things and wonder how such times sound like our own;

Scorned by families, friends, and neighbors, feeling lost and all alone.

Still our call is to endurance, pressing on the upward way, 

So that we may still be standing, true and faithful on that day. 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, November 2025, after Luke 21:5-19.

MUSIC: Tune BEACH SPRING, The Sacred Harp, 1884

 

 

Preliminary reading on a forthcoming lectionary reading led to this hymn. It wasn't my intention to observe parallels to our current time, but some such things may have slipped out. And yes, a snippet of the old gospel hymn "Higher Ground" did sneak into the final stanza. 

 

 

Come, holy God, and write your law

Come, holy God, and write your law upon our failing hearts;

Come be our God, yea, you alone,

And let us be your very own,

Down to our inmost parts.

 

Come, living Lord, and to our souls make your true presence known;

No longer bound to teach or call,

For we will know you all in all,

Our distance from you gone.

 

Come, God of covenantal grace, and in your grace forgive;

Wash out our sin forevermore,

To fester in our souls no more.

In hope now let us live.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, October 2025, after Jeremiah 31:33-34.

MUSIC: Tune REST, Frederick Charles Maker, 1887.

 

 

Unlike usual dry spells, between the new church and piecemeal relocation my brain has been overstuffed with hymn ideas that haven't had room to materialize. Finally a bit of time opened up and (as happens only rarely) a scripture from which I am not preaching pulled itself together into a text I could set. Sometimes the hymn-writing impulse has to be pushed just a little bit. 

A man enslaved

A man enslaved, called "Useful,"

In bondage toiled for naught.

He might have been called "Useless"

If his work went all wrong.

But Paul called out his master

And in Christ's love he taught

To call this slave his brother,

Invite him to belong.

 

Our world still sees enslavement

For cruel profit's gain,

Inhuman treatment practiced

For products sold dirt cheap.

Have we no moral center,

To profit from such pain? 

Can we not call out evil? 

Can we not make that leap?

 

In other ways we mangle

Those God has called God's own;

We call them dirty, vagrants,

Or even "useless" too. 

Do we speak such debasement

To those whose hope is gone?

Good God, rebuke us ever

When we such damage do.

 

Dehumanizing others

Who do not look like us,

And yet Christ calls his family;

Have we so lost our way?

Now we must do Christ's bidding,

With nothing to discuss; 

To welcome all around us

Both now and every day.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, September 2025.

MUSIC: Tune LLANFYLLIN, Welsh melody.

Apparently that lectionary reading from Philemon stayed with me beyond the hymn written for it about a month ago. Here Onesimus ("Useful") becomes the starting point for facing the ways such dehumanization is still part of our world today and how the church has not faced up to that.

I give thanks to my God

Refrain:

I give thanks to my God

Every time that I remember

All your love for the saints

And your faith in our Redeemer

I give thanks to my God.

 

Verses:

Let the sharing of your faith

Be effective for our Savior

When you see how that faith

Works for good in all endeavor

 

Refrain

 

Now in love you know to do

For the "useless" ones among you

How to love and accept

As a sibling, not a stranger

 

Refrain

When we welcome those who come

With no status, power, or favor

Then our faith shows that love

Is the way of Christ our Savior

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2025

MUSIC: Tune WILD MOUNTAIN THYME, Irish melody

       (Note: The tune is public domain but harmonizations or arrangements may vary 

        and may be under copyright.)

Yep, it's a hymn on the book of Philemon. Not an exact paraphrase, by any means (I mean, I hope you don't have people in your pews who have to be told to set their slaves free), but hopefully drawing a lesson from it. The word in quotation marks refers to Paul's play on the name Onesimus in verse 11. 

A Hymn for Resistance

Resistance is a holy act when empire now holds sway,

Like that empire with iron fist, which ruled in Jesus's day.

To feed and clothe and shelter those once called "the least of these"

Will anger tyrants bent on power, but will our Jesus please.

 

Resistance is a sacred work in times when hatred thrives,

When those who seek supremacy crush holy human lives.

To care for those of different skin gets punished as a crime,

But Jesus lifts up human folk of every race each time.

 

Resistance is in every age our mandate and our call,

Until the day when, like our Christ, love is from all, for all.

Until that day we feed and clothe, we shelter, care, and love,

To live as Jesus lived on earth, to love like God above. 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2025

MUSIC: Tune KINGSFOLD, English Country Songs, 1893; 

              harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.

 

 

This is a hymn very unlikely to be sung on a Sunday morning, unless the congregation is headed out to a march or protest immediately after worship.