Live in the love of Jesus

Live in the love of Jesus; be rooted in his love! 

Take strength in your whole being with power from above. 

With riches of God’s glory, with Holy Spirit’s power,

Live out the love of Jesus in this and every hour.

 

Live in the love of Jesus; be grounded in his love!

Know Christ in your whole being with power from above.

Let Christ’s own holy presence through yearning faith draw near,

And fill you with his deep love, the love that casts out fear.

 

Live in the love of Jesus; live ready for his love!

Know deep in your own being this power from above. 

This love beyond all knowing, God’s fullness holding sway;

Live out the love of Jesus in this and every day.

 

 

Text: Charles Spence Freeman, July 2021 (after Ephesians 3:14-21)

Music: Tune WEBB, George J. Webb, 1837.

 

 

I have sometimes compared my writing process to cooking in a crock pot, one that involves getting all the ingredients together and giving them plenty of time to cook into the desired result. In this case, the cooking period more resembled that of a barbecue pit (where “low and slow” is key) than a crock pot. As with my cooking experiences with slow smoking, this text only came together after I had largely given up.

Live lives worthy of your calling

Lead lives worthy of your calling; 

            Live in humble gentleness.

Live with love for one another,

            Slow to anger, swift to bless.

Strive for unity in Spirit,

            Joined in bonds of sacred peace.

Know the one hope of your calling,

            Hope that will not ever cease.

 

For we live in grace first given

            In the gifts of God alone,

Gifts Christ gave to build the body – 

            Gifts of grace we do not own.

Gifts of teaching and proclaiming,

            Gifts of challenge and of care;

All these gifts our Christ has given

            To his people everywhere.

 

So we live in sacred body,

            Speaking truth in holy love,

Growing always in our Savior,

            Into Christ our Head above.

Let us all praise our Creator;

            Let us praise our Savior true;

Let us praise the Holy Spirit

            In all things we say and do.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, June 2021, after Ephesians 4:1-16.

MUSIC: Suggested tune EBENEZER, Thomas John Williams, 1890.

Other possible tune: BEACH SPRING (but watch out for copyrights on different harmonizations).

 

So I took a liturgy writing workshop at the same Music & Worship conference that set off “The reign of Christ compels us” and "So Jesus came to Bethany," and got moved to write a hymn based on the noted scripture (epistle reading for Ordinary 18B, coming up August 1). What can I say? Hymns are liturgy, as far as I’m concerned.

So Jesus came to Bethany

So Jesus came to Bethany when his dear friend had died,

And Martha, Mary, all their friends, and even Jesus cried.

So those who watched his sorrow flow knew how he loved the man,

But when the tears had shed their last, the miracles began.

 

Then Jesus told those standing there, “Now roll the stone away.”

Poor Martha’s fears he brushed aside; such doubt could not betray. 

Then, lifting up a prayer above that all could see and hear,

Jesus called out to his dear friend, “Oh, Lazarus, come out here!”

 

Now Lazarus heard the Lord’s command and from his bier did rise.

His body once bound to the earth now stretched out toward the skies.

But still his hands and feet were bound; he could not walk away. 

His yearn to flee the yawning tomb the graveclothes did betray.

 

So Jesus told those standing there to tear those bonds aside.

They loosed the graveclothes, freed the man, his life now open wide.

So when you find the bonds of sin are all you feel and see,

Remember risen Lazarus; remember you are free.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, July 2021, after John 11.

MUSIC: Tune SALVATION, Kentucky Harmony, 1816.

 

 

Another hymn provoked by another worship service (same preacher) at the Presbyterian Association of Musicians Worship & Music Conference. I don’t know if it’s the mountain air or what, but things are coming forth this week. The scripture is part of the gospel for Lent 5A, I think, which might be helpful in the future.