Now Jesus sent Peter and John

Now Jesus sent Peter and John on their way

To find a room where the disciples might stay.

He gave them instructions and sent them ahead,

And there they found everything just as he said.

 

And so they prepared for the Passover meal, 

Where Jesus would to his disciples reveal, 

In bread and in cup, his great gift to us all, 

Which in this true sacrament we do recall.

 

But Jesus was troubled, his heart was dismayed,

For truly he knew that he would be betrayed. 

He also knew Peter, before the night's end, 

Would yet deny knowing his teacher and friend.

 

Still Jesus did give them this meal and this sign,

That we might remember in bread and in wine

The One who, despite how we fail and betray,

Sustains us and saves us in every new day.

 

To Jesus, Redeemer, we offer our praise,

And Spirit, Sustainer through all of our days,

And Holy Creator we praise and adore:

We worship the triune God forevermore.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2022, after verses from Luke 22:7-34.

MUSIC: Tune ST. DENIO, Welsh folk melody; adapt. in Caniadau y Cyssegr, 1839.

 

 

A new hymn text developed from Luke's account of the Last Supper. He seems to emphasize particularly how Jesus goes forward with the sharing of bread and cup despite knowing that two of the disciples will turn against him before the night is over, which hopefully comes across in the hymn. It certainly can be sung without the Trinitarian doxology at the end, but a note of praise at the last seemed appropriate.