You teach us, if in union with you we choose to live,
In sweet and sure communion with all the love you give,
Our gifts should not be posing or full of false display;
But in your love disclosing you give us words to say.
To hallow and adore you and seek your reign to come,
You bid us pray, and then do for all, not only some;
To seek you in a still space, a quiet room to pray –
Not public noisy, loud place of vain, coarse show and play.
Teach us in time of fasting to lay earth’s pleasures down
With hope and smile yet lasting, not sore or gloomy frown.
Lead us to lay aside here those treasures we adore,
But cling to gifts you hold dear and give to make us more.
Wipe out our preening bluster, reject our prayers of pride;
Refuse vain words we muster with no true faith inside.
Forgive our rude transgression, and lead our prayers to be
Full sure and true confession that only you we see.
TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, February 2021; after Matthew 6:1-21
MUSIC: Suggested tune PASSION CHORALE, Hans Leo Hassler, 1621.
A hymn from Lent, after a fashion. Much of this Matthew 6 material appears in the lectionary for Ash Wednesday, so maybe the connection isn’t too farfetched. I confess that as these words selected this tune in my head, I was hearing Paul Simon’s guitar more than Bach’s organ.
