Take and eat

"Take and eat this and remember me."

Bread he gave, both blessed and broken, as an everlasting token:

"Take and eat this and remember me."

 

"Take and drink this and remember me."

Jesus gave the cup, revealing covenant and new life sealing:

"Take and drink this and remember me."

 

Take and live this and remember him.

Show his death till his returning, blessed hope of all our yearning.

Take and live this and remember him.

 

 

 

Text: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2023, after 1 Corinthians 11:24-26.

Music: Suggested Tune RANDOLPH, Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.

 

 

 

The confluence of two separate but overlapping events - a presentation on this hymn tune and preparation for a service using this scripture - somehow merged the two into one in my head, so to speak, and then into print. Could be a useful Maundy Thursday hymn.

 

Rise up, rev. 2023

Rise up, old bones, return to life,

Take sinew, flesh, and breath; 

Give witness to the power of God,

A power that conquers death                     

(A power that conquers death).

 

Rise up, dear friend, return to life,

No longer in the grave; 

Give witness to the love of God

That drives the Christ to save                                 

(That drives the Christ to save).

 

Rise up, old church, return to life,

No longer drowned in fear; 

Give witness to the Word of God

The world declines to hear                         

(The world declines to hear).

 

Rise up, my soul, return to life,

No longer lost in sin; 

Give witness to the grace of God

And let new life begin                                  

(And let new life begin).

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, 2014, rev. 2023, after Lent 5A texts

MUSIC: Tune CHRISTMAS, G.F. Handel, 1728; arr. Lowell Mason, 1821.

 

The combination of Ezekiel’s “valley of bones” vision and Jesus’s raising of Lazarus (Lent 5A) became a prompt for considering new life in institutions (such as churches) or people struggling to stay afloat. (The repeated phrases in parentheses correspond to the suggested tune; they can be left out if a different tune is used.)

 

Seek out the dark night

Seek out the dark night, 

Banish any stray light. 

Turn from the day's toil, come and rest.

Freed from the bright day,

Seeking a calm way; 

We rest now so to serve our best.

 

Why are we failing,

Running, hurried, flailing? 

Why this unholy rush in vain? 

Turn from this fluster,

Banish such bluster

And leave aside the striving pain.

 

Seek quiet, make space,

Give yourself to God's grace; 

Carve out a pause from marching time.

Let holy healing, God's hope revealing,

Repair your soul with love sublime.

 

Then, with this soul care

Turn yourself and now share; 

Serve as a vessel of God's peace. 

Practice such hearing, 

Sure and endearing,

That human loneliness might cease.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2023.

MUSIC: Tune CRUSADERS' HYMN, Silesian folk melody; Schlesische Volkslieder, 1842.

 

 

It might seem a bit much to have a hymn the basic message of which is "get a good night's rest and get back to work refreshed in the morning." Then again, so many people don't seem to be very good at it (raises hand), so maybe the counsel is useful after all. Anyway, make what use you will.