Come to the gate

Come to the gate, O come to the Savior; come for safety and release.

Follow the voice of your dear Shepherd to security and peace.

Enter in to God’s protection; follow then to pastures green;  

Come to the gate, O come to the Savior; learn what life and wholeness mean.

Bandits and robbers, they cannot enter, cannot come in through this gate –

Leave them aside! Do not give ear to voices crying fear and hate.

Only follow your dear Shepherd and this voice of trust and care;

Come to the gate, O come to the Savior; find your joy and fullness there.

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, April 2020, after John 10:1-10 (Easter 4A)

MUSIC: Suggested tune HOLY MANNA, Columbian Harmony, 1825

Apparently my lectionary-hymn brain has recovered somewhat after this month-plus of quarantine.

I unwittingly dared myself to write this one. In sharing information for this coming Sunday’s service I made the offhand remark that, while there are hymns or songs for Jesus the Good Shepherd, or even the Vine, you just didn’t see hymns on Jesus as the gate for the sheep as he says in this passage. Of course my hymn-writing brain was going to take that as a dare. Of course it was.