When creatures meant to roam the wild

When creatures meant to roam the wild

find freedom snatched away,

in cages locked or bound in chains

and suffering from our wounds and pains,

forgive us, God, we pray.

 

Stout lions, meant to roam in grasslands

free and unrestrained,

or tigers of the forest lands

are captured by foul human hands,

for human fun detained.

 

Sleek panthers, cougars, leopards, and

bobcats and cheetahs too,

were made by God for roaming free,

not held as "curiosity,"

bound in a "roadside zoo."

 

Those who exploit our human yen

for entertaining sights

breed creatures such for human gaze

in painful and unnatural ways,

all for our vain delights.

 

For creatures bound in such conditions,

God, we humbly pray;

but even more, strike down our yen

for painful fun, and teach us then

to hate such harmful play.

 

Teach us respect for all of life

in each and every way;

teach us to love them in their place,

not snatch them from their sacred space;

Good God, change us today.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, July 2026

MUSIC: Tune REST, Frederick Charles Maker, 1887

 

 

Prompted by a discussion at this morning's Routley Lecture at the PAM Worship & Music Conference, on creation (specifically "critters") in hymnody (short form: there's not much). I do have "All creatures of our God on high" on the record, but the discussion provoked another text, on a darker side of human fascination with wild cats.

  

 

A Hymn for Resistance

Resistance is a holy act when empire now holds sway,

Like that empire with iron fist, which ruled in Jesus's day.

To feed and clothe and shelter those once called "the least of these"

Will anger tyrants bent on power, but will our Jesus please.

 

Resistance is a sacred work in times when hatred thrives,

When those who seek supremacy crush holy human lives.

To care for those of different skin gets punished as a crime,

But Jesus lifts up human folk of every race each time.

 

Resistance is in every age our mandate and our call,

Until the day when, like our Christ, love is from all, for all.

Until that day we feed and clothe, we shelter, care, and love,

To live as Jesus lived on earth, to love like God above. 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2025

MUSIC: Tune KINGSFOLD, English Country Songs, 1893; 

              harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.

 

 

This is a hymn very unlikely to be sung on a Sunday morning, unless the congregation is headed out to a march or protest immediately after worship. 

There Is No Christ

How does an age come so afoul

Of all that Jesus said and did,

Now bound to empire's cruel abuse

With hate and rage no longer hid?

Such acts of evil, done with joy,

Pure meanness acted out with bliss;

Do not blaspheme the Lord's name so!

There is no Christ in such as this.

 

How does this church, in Christ made one,

By Spirit led to God's own work,

Turn crazed and stray so far from truth - 

So drunk with power and gone berserk?

How does this church defend itself 

When they Christ's life and words dismiss?

This is not "faithful" anything!

There is no Christ in such as this.

 

How will the churches left behind,

Belittled, scorned, yet holding fast

To how Christ lived and what Christ taught,

Endure and keep faith to the last?

Let not despair derail us now,

No hopelessness drive us amiss;

This is not how the Spirit leads!

There is no Christ in such as this.

 

In Christ shall we withstand and stand,

Condemn the false, raise up the true,

Bind up the wounds and shelter those

On whom the hateful spit and spew.

Stand in Christ's love and Spirit's power,

In God's true grace to bear witness;

This is our work! This is our call!

Christ is revealed in such as this.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, February 2025.

MUSIC: Tune ST. PATRICK, Irish melody,  arr. Charles Villiers Stanford, 1902.

Another hymn of sorts responding to the time in which we live and the failure of the church or some large portion of it to do the right thing.

Our Christ is not a weapon

Our Christ is not a weapon

For spewing hate and fear.

His name is not for smashing 

Those whom the Lord holds dear.

Christ's enemies may hasten

To injure whom they please,

But those who follow truly

Will love "the least of these."

 

Internments or invasions,

Lies meant to harm or kill,

Or massive deportations

With hatred raging still; 

Those who commit such violence

May reap great power and fame,

But in truth cannot ever

Do these in Jesus's name.

 

The work of Christ can only

Be done in holy love,

Relentless and unyielding

Like that of God above.

Our Christ is not a weapon

For spewing hate and fear;

Let such lies be forever

Denounced for all to hear.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, February 2025.

MUSIC: Suggested tune VALET WILL ICH DER GEBEN, Melchior Teschner, 1614; harm. William Henry Monk, 1861.

Something had to be said.

There is a fountain, new text

There is a fountain, born of love, from which God's mercy rains.

O lost and lonely, look above; be free of sorrow's chains.

Be free of sorrow's chains, be free of sorrow's chains.

O lost and lonely, look above; be free of sorrow's chains.

 

This fountain pours its healing on unjust and just the same; 

Lay down your vain and wounding pride; call on the holy name.

Call on the holy name, call on the holy name.

Lay down your vain and wounding pride; call on the holy name.

 

This fountain flows with healing grace to make the broken whole; 

Come to this fountain and receive rest for your weary soul.

Rest for your weary soul, rest for your weary soul.

Come to this fountain and receive rest for your weary soul.

 

Come to the fountain; let it wash your fear and guilt away; 

In Jesus Christ, God's only son, come find a brand-new day.

Come find a brand-new day, come find a brand-new day.

In Jesus Christ, God's only son, come find a brand-new day.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, June 2024.

MUSIC: Tune CLEANSING FOUNTAIN, Early American Melody.

Written at the request of a friend, for whom the tune is beautiful but the original text...less so.

I do not do the things I want

I do not do the things I want,

But what I do is what I hate; 

I know the law of God is good,

But sin enthralls my inward state.

'Tis sadly true, I cannot do

The good things that I contemplate. 

Thanks be to God! All thanks and praise

To God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 

Now when I want to do the good,

Then sin draws near, comes by my side; 

But God's good law is my delight,

And in God's truth I would abide.

Though still does sin make war within

I yet in God my hope confide.

Thanks be to God! All thanks and praise

To God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 

O wretched body that I am

With sin at war with all my good,

O who will rescue me from death

And help me live the way I would?

God comes to save me from the grave

and free my soul from sin's falsehood!

Thanks be to God! All thanks and praise

To God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, June 2023, after Romans 7:15-25.

MUSIC: Tune YE BANKS AND BRAES, Scottish melody.

 

 

The Romans series continues. I had thought long ago that if I was really going to do such a series, this passage (which is basically Paul going into emotional and spiritual dark places and getting all tangled up in it) would be one of the hardest if not the hardest. Once, however, this tune came to mind with its folk and even ballad-like qualities, the text came together fairly quickly.

What do we worship

What do we worship? Who do we serve?

What claims our joy and our fire and our nerve?

Our true affection, where does it go?

To whom do we our loyalties show?

 

Refrain:

God and God only must be our love!

God in Christ Jesus sent from above,

God in the Spirit come like a dove,

God and God only must be our love.

 

Idols of power vie for the mind,

Power to rule o'er whatever we find. 

This is not holy, not in God's will - 

Perfect submission ours to fulfill.

 

Refrain

 

Idols of wealth now vie for the soul,

Thoughts that possessions might render us whole.

There is no truth in such a design; 

Give it away, your soul to refine.

 

Refrain

 

So many idols call to the heart,

Things which in God's sure design have no part.

Only in service, living and new,

Can we be holy, lovely and true.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, January 2023.

MUSIC: Tune ASSURANCE, Phoebe Palmer Knapp, 1873.

 

A reach back to a sturdy old gospel-song tune to write a hymn about idolatry. A silly thing to write, of course. Modern Christians would *never* be lulled into giving their ultimate devotion to any mere human or object, right?

Right???