Born of the Spirit

Born of the Spirit, bound for the Kingdom; 

            so is the gift of God’s own true love; 

Washed in the water, raised in Christ’s likeness,

            formed in Christ’s image, born from above.

Born of the Spirit, fresh as the wind blows,

            borne on the wind like flight of the dove;

Mighty wind rushing – hark now and hear it! –

            so is the new life born from above.

Born of the Spirit, no longer sin-bound,

            set free from bondage by God’s own love; 

Our lives bear witness to Christ’s true calling

            when we are living born from above.

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, 2020, after John 3:3-9 (Lent 2A)

MUSIC: Tune BUNESSAN, Gaelic melody (5.5.5.4.D)

I doubt I’ll ever have the nerve to try to set or paraphrase John 3:16 itself, but the earlier part of the lectionary reading offers Jesus’s provocative words on the need to be “born of the Spirit,” and the familiar “Morning has broken” tune seems to bring those images to life particularly well.