The blind man who sat by the road

The blind man who sat by the road out of town

Was there every day of the week,

And those passing by on the road heard him call;

For coin or for food he would seek. 

Each day was the same; all the travelers came, 

Each day of the week, of the year,

Until one day he heard joyful cries from a crowd,

And he heard that it was drawing near.

 

This man by the road, Bartimaeus his name,

Made ready to cry out for aid,

But then he was caught by a name from the crowd

And his cry for alms thus was stayed.

For Jesus of Nazareth was on the way,

As near as he ever would be!

Bartimaeus cried out with great pleading and fear,

"Son of David, have mercy on me!"

 

The crowd tried to hush him, but he would not so;

He cried even louder again.

The crowd now grew hushed as it came to a halt;

Then one voice called out, "Bring him in."

The blind man jumped up, tossed his cloak to the side,

And stumbled his way to the man;

And to Jesus he pleaded with all of his heart,

"O my Teacher, let me see again!"

 

When Jesus said, "Go, for your faith has now healed you,"

Dark fell away from his eyes.

And then he beheld what he missed for so long,

The clouds and the trees and the skies.

But he did not go, though the Teacher said so;

His heart drew him rather to stay.

So he gathered himself and fell in with the crowd,

And he followed his Lord on the way.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, October 2024, after Mark 10:46-52.

MUSIC: Tune SAMANTHRA, American folk melody.

 

 

This story has been bugging me for years to set it in some kind of form for congregational singing. I had used this tune for a previous setting, for the parable about the bridesmaids. While this is not a parable, it is a story, and tunes like this were made for telling stories. And I couldn't resist the subtitle.

Can you drink the cup I drink

"Can you drink the cup I drink,

Filled with painful, bitter wine?

My baptism, can you bear,

This sore burden that is mine?"

 

Worldly rulers will not bend,

Lording over all they claim.

Those who follow Jesus dear

Will be servants in his name.

 

For the Son of Man did come 

All to serve and show the way

And to set his people free,

Now to live in God's new day.

 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, October 2024, after Mark 10:35-45.

MUSIC: Tune AUS DER TIEFE RUFE ICH, attr. Martin Herbst, 1676.

 

 

When two of the disciples seek privileged places at Jesus's side, his response turns from direct reprimand to describing what being a follower of Jesus looks like. Personally, it didn't seem right to glorify the two disciples by name here, but Jesus's answer is worth a hymn reflection. 

 

We welcome you, O Christ

We welcome you, O Christ our Lord;

            We lift our praise in one accord.

We give you thanks in everything;

            We honor you as now we sing.

 

Yet your own word has called us out;

            The very welcome that we shout

Is called in question – doubt, indeed – 

            By how we turn from those in need.

 

The hungry stranger at our door,

            The one who scrubs our dirty floor,

The migrant, homeless; yes, our call

            Is always to receive them all.

 

While we your church have argued loud

            For power, for strength, for status proud,

You welcome these whom we’ve reviled

            As once you welcomed one small child.

 

Recall us to true welcome, Lord, 

            That all in you may be restored

To health and hope in everything,

            And we true praise to you might bring.

 

 

Text: Charles Spence Freeman, September 2021, after Mark 9:30-37.

Music: Suggested tune ROCKINGHAM, Second Supplement to Psalmody in Miniature, 1783; harm. Edward Miller, 1790.

A cursory reading of the indicated lectionary passage will make clear this is no close paraphrase; it is perhaps best described as a response, perhaps with some repentance about it, to that passage and Jesus's instruction to the disciples in it. 

When home can be no more our home

When home can be no more our home,

        Follow the call of God.

No more a place of true shalom,

         Follow the call of God.

Refrain:

See Jesus go before us,

         Showing the call of God; 

And Holy Spirit helps us

         Follow the call of God.

 

When home our gifts will not receive,

         Follow the call of God.

When home rejects what we believe,

         Follow the call of God.

Refrain

 

Now follow in our Savior's lead,

         Follow the call of God.

Bear witness in both word and deed;

         Follow the call of God.

Refrain

 

We travel on the path of peace,

         Follow the call of God.

Where God's own kingdom shall increase.

         Follow the call of God.

Refrain

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, June 2024, after Mark 6:1-13.

MUSIC: Tune McAFEE, Cleland Boyd McAfee, 1901.

When dealing with this passage that includes Jesus's rejection in his hometown, it's wise to remember the earlier account of his family coming to "restrain" him earlier in this gospel. But this rejection didn't mean Jesus sat and sulked or anything like that; indeed, you might say he launched a big new initiative. For those of us who really can't go home, there's still work to do in God's family. Or something like that.

 

 

See two who came for healing

See two who come for healing to Jesus on this day; 

Each one with need most urgent, each in their different way.

Each felt there was no option, no other place to go;

But how he would bring healing they surely could not know.

 

A synagogue official to Jesus came to plead; 

His daughter now lay dying, so dreadful was her need.

The man did beg for Jesus - with pleas and not demands - 

To bring her health and healing, to come and lay his hands.

 

A woman with an issue of blood that would not heal

Would not think to disturb him with such a bold appeal;

She only thought to reach down and touch his garment's hem, 

And then to leave before his disciples might condemn.

 

These two who came for healing to Jesus on this day

Each left with what they sought here, each in their different way.

The daughter got up sprightly, the woman stood up tall,

All from the work of Jesus, who came to heal us all.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, June 2024, after Mark 5:21-43.

MUSIC: Tune AURELIA, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1864. 

 

 

Preserving the "Markan sandwich" of the original reading didn't really work out, but hopefully the healing accounts get their due and, as I generally hope for such hymns, something of the scripture and the sermon gets refreshed in the singing.

When seed that is scattered, updated

When seed that is scattered is growing and blooming

While we are at rest or at work in the day – 

First stalk and then flower, full grain in due hour – 

We see how the kingdom moves out in this way.

 

When seed of such small size spreads out and finds nurture, 

Now growing and casting its shade far and wide,

We learn how the kingdom comes, fruitful and winsome,

With shelter for all of creation inside.

 

Now this is the kingdom of God in our living;

It flourishes even as we do not know.

Praise God, our Creator, whose giving is greater,

Whose kingdom gives courage to flourish and grow.

 

 

TEXT: Charies Spence Freeman, June 2021, after Mark 4:26-34.

MUSIC: Tune KREMSER, Neder-landisch Gedenck-Clanck; 1626; harm. Eduard Kremser, 1877.

 

 

The lectionary reading for Ordinary 11B offers up seed metaphors for our reflection. Somehow this time around the image of birds being able to take shelter in the shade of the mustard-seed shrub jumped out. (The words of each stanza may fit to the final phrase slightly differently than the usual texts paired with this tune.)

The Sabbath day was made

The Sabbath day was made to serve the needs of humankind;

We are not made to serve the day nor how it is designed.

This day was made for human good in body, soul, and mind; 

Oh, let us keep this day to serve the needs of humankind.

 

How shall we keep the Sabbath day? How shall we do God's will?

Are we to act to help or harm? Are we to heal or kill?

This day is meant to bring us life, our yearning souls to fill; 

Oh, we shall keep the Sabbath day and do our God's good will.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, May 2024, after Mark 2:23-3:6.

MUSIC: Tune KINGSFOLD, English Country Songs, 1893; 

       harmonization Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.

 

 

The gospel reading here appears on the second Sunday after Pentecost, year B, but only under certain conditions, apparently. That is, it doesn't come up every year B, and resources for it are sometimes hard to find, hymns included. Well, here's one.

Prepare the way, O people

Prepare the way, O people! Your Christ is drawing near!

Cry out to this great city, so all can see and hear!

A borrowed colt he's riding, God's holy reign betiding.

Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!

 

Spread out your coats, O people! Make clear your Teacher's way!

Make smooth the road with branches on this great joyous day!

Sing out and shout with gladness! This is no time for sadness!

Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!

 

Blessed is the one, O people, the one who comes to save;

The one who comes in God's name, who saves us from the grave!

Here on this colt proceeding, even now for us he's pleading;

Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2024, after Mark 11:1-11.

MUSIC: Tune BEREDEN VÄG FÖR HERRAN, Then Swenska Psalmboken, 1697; arr. American Lutheran Hymnal, 1930.

 

 

This might be a bad habit, but I have a tendency to find a hymn suited to a particular season or occasion and create a hymn in parallel to it but tied to a different season or occasion. Here the original, a good lively Advent hymn, provides the model for a Palm Sunday text, another occasion when "preparing the way" was the call of the day. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like sometimes it might be a good thing to make connections across the different seasons of the liturgical year. (While the Mark account is used as the starting point fot this text, it might be non-specific enough to be sung on any Palm Sunday.

Then Jesus came from Nazareth

Then Jesus came from Nazareth, his home in Galilee,

And was baptized in Jordan's flow by the baptizer John.

On rising up from Jordan's depths his opening eyes did see

Torn-open skies, descending Spirit; God's beloved Son.

 

Immediately he was compelled into the wilderness,

By Satan tested forty days before his trial was done,

With wild beasts in remote terrain of danger and distress;

But angels came and ministered to God's beloved Son

 

Then Jesus, with his testing done, returned to Galilee,

And there began his holy task to spread to everyone

The gospel of God's kingdom drawing near for all to see.

And so began the saving work of God's beloved Son.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, February 2024, after Mark 1:9-15.

MUSIC: Tune KINGSFOLD, English Country Songs, 1893; harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.

 

 

A text for the first Sunday of Lent in which the gospel of Mark, in its typical manner, makes quick work of the baptism and testing of Jesus and launches into his ministry with what might be in modern terms described as his "mission statement" or maybe "topic sentence." Mark does make quick work of things.

Out to a deserted place

Out to a deserted place, Jesus takes his leave to pray,

Seeking holy solitude at the close of frantic day.

 

When they came from synagogue, Simon's mother-in-law lay

Fever-bound in bed, until Jesus took it all away.

 

This news spread around, and so multitudes for healing came.

All the city gathered there; Jesus healed them all the same.

 

So to a deserted place Jesus takes his leave to pray,

Then to other towns they go, spreading gospel on the way.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, January 2024, after Mark 1:29-39.

MUSIC: Tune AUS DER TIEFE RUFE ICH, attr. Martin Herbst, 1676,

 

 

Back to lectionary readings, now for year B, present or anticipated. It feels like the gospel of Mark doesn't get much love hymn-wise, and if I say it's my favorite gospel (and I do) then it logically follows that I should try to do something about that lack of love.