I give thanks to my God

Refrain:

I give thanks to my God

Every time that I remember

All your love for the saints

And your faith in our Redeemer

I give thanks to my God.

 

Verses:

Let the sharing of your faith

Be effective for our Savior

When you see how that faith

Works for good in all endeavor

 

Refrain

 

Now in love you know to do

For the "useless" ones among you

How to love and accept

As a sibling, not a stranger

 

Refrain

When we welcome those who come

With no status, power, or favor

Then our faith shows that love

Is the way of Christ our Savior

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2025

MUSIC: Tune WILD MOUNTAIN THYME, Irish melody

       (Note: The tune is public domain but harmonizations or arrangements may vary 

        and may be under copyright.)

Yep, it's a hymn on the book of Philemon. Not an exact paraphrase, by any means (I mean, I hope you don't have people in your pews who have to be told to set their slaves free), but hopefully drawing a lesson from it. The word in quotation marks refers to Paul's play on the name Onesimus in verse 11. 

When teaching for the Sabbath

When teaching for the Sabbath in synagogue one day,

Our Lord did see a woman who could not make her way.

Bent over and unable to stand up straight or tall, 

For eighteen years she lived so, with no hope seen at all.

 

When Jesus saw her waiting, he called her out and said,

"See, woman, you are free now," with hands placed on her head.

Immediately she straightened and cried out earnest praise,

Rejoicing in renewed health to last her all her days.

 

The synagogue's own leader was vexed and wroth and sore

That healing work had happened on Sabbath, not before.

Our Lord called out his error and challenged his false ways,

And all the people mocked him, but Jesus heard their praise.

 

Is healing ever wrong or somehow out of place?

Are there some circumstances to turn away God's grace?

When Jesus, on the Sabbath, did help her stand up tall,

He showed that healing comes forth in any time and all.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2025, after Luke 13:10-17.

MUSIC: Preferred tune MERLE'S TUNE, Hal H. Hopson, 1983 Copyright 1983 Hope Publishing Company. 

Alternate tunes: 

AURELIA, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1864.

VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN, Melchior Teschner, 1614; harm. William Henry Monk, 1861.

MUNICH, Neuvermehrtes Meiningisches Gesangbuch, 1693; adapt. Felix Mendelssohn, 1847. 

 

The hymn-writing impulse might be back; having some clarity about my future apparently helps, as this is one of two hymns I wrote in one day after being unable to write much all summer. Since the preferred tune is under copyright I don't print it here; the given tune, VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN, is one most congregations sing on Palm Sunday. 

Holy and beloved

Holy and beloved, chosen ones of God:

Kindness and compassion and humility,

Also patience, meekness; so to serve your God,

Clothe yourselves in these things for the world to see.

 

Bear with one another; take this call to heart:

As our Lord forgives you, so you must forgive.

So now clothe yourselves in love and do your part

That in joyful harmony we all might live.

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you heart and soul, 

As his peace lives in you, showing grace to all. 

So you teach other, striving towards the goal, 

Living in God's wisdom as our Lord does call.

 

Singing psalms and hymns and spirit-songs as well, 

All with gratitude and praise for every day,

In the name of Jesus let our lives now tell

In word and in deed how we will seek God's way.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, June 2025, after Colossians 3:12-17.

MUSIC: Tune KING'S WESTON, Ralph Vaughan Williams, 2025.

 

 

First of all, I've wanted to set this passage (with its "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" hook having been in my head for many years). This week being at the Worship & Music Conference at Montreat, with this larger passage as the "theme scripture," provided extra emphasis. I don't know what brought this tune to my mind, but it was the key that unlocked things. I'll probably need to do some fixing up (and definitely learn some better notation software), but at least it's here and ready to be fixed. (Oh, and this passage really does show up in the RCL ... for the first Sunday after Christmas, year C.) 

When Mary went out to the tomb

When Mary went out to the tomb alone in darkness, burdened sore,

She saw the tomb was standing open, guarding stone in place no more.

She ran to tell what she had seen and two disciples made their way;

They saw the grave clothes lying there and wondered, but they did not stay.

 

But Magdalene remained in place, now even more consumed with grief,

Then in the tomb she saw two angels - wondrous sight beyond belief!

She turned and saw the gardener, or so she thought this man must be;

So sore confused and still in shock that Jesus there she could not see.

 

When still she could not see her Jesus, he then stopped and said her name;

Both strong and clear, it stirred her sight so she would never be the same.

He had to tell her not to cling, but gave her this as her reward;

To bear the news to his disciples, saying "I have seen the Lord!"

 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, April 2025, after John 20:1-18.

MUSIC: Tune YE BANKS AND BRAES, Scottish melody.

 

 

Various necessities have slowed hymn-writing, but after a few weeks of intermittent work an Easter hymn is finally here. Somehow I have written two hymns on Mark's minimalist Easter account but none on any other gospel reports, so the text from John's gospel - the scripture the RCL always recommends - was chosen, with Mary Magdalene's role as first witness brought forward. 

There were two disciples

There were two disciples who took to the road when Jesus their teacher was gone.

Their master had been crucified like a thief and now seemed the time to move on.

But as they were walking, despairing and low, another man came alongside;

When he questioned the two, they told all that happened and how their great teacher had died.

 

Much to their surprise, the man started to teach and opened the travelers' eyes

With words of the prophets that spoke of the one, their Teacher both holy and wise.

They came to Emmaus to stay for the night, invited this man to join in;

But when he broke the bread, something opened their eyes - see, their Teacher was living again!

 

As they were astounded to see Jesus there, he then disappeared from their sight. 

They gathered themselves to go back to the city, hastening with all of their might, 

And there they did hear how their Jesus drew near to Simon and others that day.

Resurrection had come! Now their call was so clear: time to follow their Lord on the way.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, April 2025, after Luke 24:13-35.

MUSIC: Tune SAMANTHRA, American folk melody.

 

 

Apparently being on a plane with no wifi can be a moment when hymn inspiration can happen. This text sits oddly in the Easter cycle, but it's a good scripture text, and I figure it was eventually going to force its way into hymn-text form somehow. 

 

There once was a father

There once was a father who lived with his sons,

And hear how the story is told;

One son who took off with his share of the fortune,

One who did stay in the fold.

The one son who fled was in over his head;

His fortune and favor were gone.

So he lived in despair, feeding pigs for a living;

He lived hungry, cold, and alone.

 

He came to his senses and made up his mind 

That he would return to his home.

He would not claim sonship, but seek only labor,

No longer living to roam.

But soon came his father in haste and in love, and

Yearning to welcome him in;

Fatted calf, finest robe, a new ring and new sandals,

And soon the great feast would begin.

 

The son who had stayed heard the noise, saw the joy,

And he was in anger and sore

That father rejoiced for this derelict son

Who had been so reckless before.

The father replied, "yes, you stayed by my side,

And all that I have is for you,

But this son who was lost, who was dead, now is found safe,

And this we must celebrate too!"

 

There once was a father who lived with his sons

But did his sons now live with him?

One son who sought only to be hired labor,

One who was angry and grim.

Now this is the story, but what does it mean,

And what are we followers to do?

So pay heed to the Father who loves with abandon,

And wonder, which lost son are you?

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2025, after Luke 15:11-32 (Lent 4C).

MUSIC: Tune SAMANTHRA, American folk melody.

 

A folk song to tell a familiar story and questions to end it without an ending.

 

 

Prepare the way, O people, revised

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 before him 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. This was written last year for the reading from Mark's gospel; changing two words made it suitable for this year's Luke reading. 

When Jesus, full of Spirit

When Jesus, full of Spirit, came into the lonely wilderness,

He faced a tempter bound to foil his earthly work and true witness.

Not pains of hunger, fame nor power would sway our Christ from standing fast.

Our Jesus, filled with Spirit, showed how we should follow to the last.

 

When filled with Spirit, Christians need not strain for power or for fear,

For God alone is all our power and God will lead us to draw near.

When filled with Spirit, Christians need not put our God unto the test;

We turn to God not for display, we turn for sustenance and rest.

 

When filled with Spirit, Christians need not seek out stones to turn to bread.

So many suffer hungry want, but our work is to share instead;

To lay aside our selfish pride and live so no one else has need,

To end the hoarding plunder wrought by raw, unyielding, selfish greed.

 

See how each testing faced by Christ points deep into our daily life:

When we give in to tempter's wiles, we fill our world with pain and strife.

But filled with Spirit we will live upon the words of God alone

Till all our hearts dwell in God's love with all temptation finally gone.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2025, after Luke 4:1-13.

MUSIC: Tune YE BANKS AND BRAES, Scottish melody.

 

 

Somehow I had written two different texts on Matthew's temptation account, but never either the Mark or Luke stories. In this case the emphasis will fall on how those temptations Jesus faced play out in our own lives and what guidance we might draw from the experience. 

If Christ has not been raised

If Christ has not been raised, 

Your faith has been in vain; 

You still are in your sins with no more hope to gain.

Refrain:

But Christ is raised up from the dead!

The firstfruits of those who have died.

 

If Christ has not been raised,

Our word has been in vain;

Our proclamation brings no more than grief and pain.

Refrain

 

If Christ has not been raised,

False witness is our shame;

That God has raised up Christ has been our word and claim.

Refrain

 

If only for this life

Our hope in Christ is placed,

We of all people should be pitied and disgraced.

Refrain

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, February 2025, after 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

MUSIC: Tune LOVE UNKNOWN, John Ireland, 1918. Copyright 1924 Trustees of the John Ireland Charitable Trust. 

 

 

Iti is my firm belief that 1 Corinthians 15:19 would be the most heart-wrenching, soul-breaking verse in scripture ... if it were not for 1 Corinthians 15:20. (Tune not reproduced due to copyright.)

Christ died for our sins

Christ died for our sins, as scripture has said,

Was buried but then was raised from the dead. 

Appeared to disciples, then five hundred more;

And so came this witness now and evermore.

 

Now siblings in Christ, keep this news at hand,

Good news you received in which you now stand. 

Hold fast to this message that you now believe, 

Which through God's own messengers you did receive.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, January 2025, after 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.

MUSIC: Tune LYONS, Joseph Martin Kraus, 1784; alt.

 

 

In the case of this text a bit of slimming down and focusing seemed necessary to keep the text from becoming unwieldy and unworkable. The tune has its own pretty fascinating story to it, about how long its composer took to be recognized and credited for it. 

Now without love

Now without love, my words are nothing

But clanging cymbal, noisy gong.

If, with no love, I speak great mysteries

And teach of faith, my words are wrong.

If without love I give up all things,

Nothing I gain here or above;

Faith, hope, and love, these three abiding - 

But still the greatest one is love.

 

Now love lives patiently and kindly,

Not envious, arrogant or rude. 

In truth all love is found rejoicing,

But doing wrong is sore eschewed.

Love bears, believes, and hopes through all times,

Endures with grace given from above;

Faith, hope, and love, these three abiding - 

But still the greatest one is love.

 

Prophetic words are not forever,

And tongues also will one day cease.

Now even knowledge is but passing.

Love never ends and will increase.

For now we see, but only dimly;

We will see fully from above.

Faith, hope, and love, these three abiding - 

But still the greatest one is love.

 

I was a child, my thoughts were childlike;

As I grew up that fell away. 

Our sight is dim, as in a mirror;

We will see face-to-face one day.

When that day come, we will see fully

As we are known by God above.

Faith, hope, and love, these three abiding - 

But still the greatest one is love.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, January 2025, after 1 Corinthians 13.

MUSIC: Tune WAYFARING STRANGER, US folk melody.

A continuation of the set of hymns for the 1 Corinthians readings in the RCL for this season.