See our Jesus, alternate tune

See our Jesus at the Temple, turned into a marketplace.

See his sadness and frustration; see the anger in his face.

“This is not a place for robbers! This is called a house of prayer

For the peoples of all nations to be gathered and to share.”

 

See our Jesus passing by a barren fig tree on the way.

His disciples saw it withered, wondered at the sad decay.

Jesus taught them to stay faithful and to cast all doubt aside, 

So that God’s unending giving would with them in full abide.

 

See our Jesus at the table, souls and bodies to be fed;

See the woman with the fragrance pouring out on Jesus’ head.

‘Gainst the grumbling and complaining, Jesus did rebuke and scold,

“Do not mock her; she has praised me! Let her deed be always told.”

 

See our Jesus, with disciples gathered in the upper room. 

Hear him giving last instruction, even against impending gloom:

“Take this bread, this is my body; take this cup, it is my blood.

Hold these fast until God’s mercy comes in overwhelming flood.”

 

See our Jesus, now uplifted, raised in shame and left to die.

Hear the scornful, mocking watchers; “save yourself!” their taunting cry.

Hear his breath at last exhausted; Jesus’ earthly life is done, 

But one soldier sees his glory: “Truly this was God’s own son.”

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2021, after readings from Mark 11, 14, 15.

MUSIC: PLEADING SAVIOR, Leavitt’s Christian Lyre, 1830/31.

Other possible tunes:

            JEFFERSON, Alexander Johnson’s Tennessee Harmony, 1818.

            NETTLETON, Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second, 1813.

The hymn posted last week, now posted with the tune I actually decided to use with it this week (and with some embarrassing typos cleaned up, hopefully).

See our Jesus

See our Jesus at the Temple, turned into a marketplace.

See his sadness and frustration; see the anger in his face.

“This is not a place for robbers! This is called a house of prayer

For the peoples of all nations to be gathered and to share.”

 

See our Jesus passing by a barren fig tree on the way.

His disciples saw it withered, wondered at the sad decay.

Jesus taught them to stay faithful and to cast all doubt aside, 

So that God’s unending giving would with them in full abide.

 

See our Jesus at the table, souls and bodies to be fed;

See the woman with the fragrance pouring out on Jesus’ head.

‘Gainst the grumbling and complaining, Jesus did rebuke and scold,

“Do not mock her; she has praised me! Let her deed be always told.”

 

See our Jesus, with disciples gathered in the upper room. 

Hear him giving last instruction, even against impending gloom:

“Take this bread, this is my body; take this cup, it is my blood.

Hold these fast until God’s mercy comes in overwhelming flood.”

 

See our Jesus, now uplifted, raised in shame and left to die.

Hear the scornful, mocking watchers; “save yourself!” their taunting cry.

Hear his breath at last exhausted; Jesus’ earthly life is done, 

But one soldier sees his glory: “Truly this was God’s own son.”

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2001, after readings from Mark 11, 14, 15.

MUSIC: Suggested tune NETTLETON, Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music, 

Part Second, 1813.

Other possible tunes:

            JEFFERSON, Alexander Johnson’s Tennessee Harmony, 1818.

            PLEADING SAVIOR, Leavitt’s Christian Lyre, 1830/31.

 

 

This hymn is tied to Holy Week and events following the triumphal entry, leading up to the crucifixion. The hymn’s basis in Mark’s gospel accounts for certain characteristics of the verses, such as an anonymous woman anointing Jesus’s head instead of Mary anointing Jesus’s feet. It is not a hymn I see as likely sung all in one service, but rather one verse sung each day of Holy Week; nonetheless, do what works for your worship service.

Now when a grain of wheat

Now when a grain of wheat is severed and falls away into the earth,

It then bears fruit in much abundance; in God’s good care it gives new birth.

And yet before new wheat is thriving, that single grain must fall and die.

So was the fate of our dear Savior, who would be lifted up on high.

 

Now those who love their life above all, and hoard it dear at any cost,

Will find, without our Savior’s leading, that all they treasure will be lost.

But those who yield to God’s own calling, eternal life is theirs to find.

So thus our Lord, to draw all people, was lifted up to humankind.

 

Now who would serve our Jesus truly must follow to the very last,

And those who do will find their Savior to be there too, to hold us fast.

Yes, those who serve our Jesus truly so serve our God, our all in all;  

So was the work of our dear Savior, who, lifted up, did draw us all.

 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2021, after John 12:24-26.

MUSIC: Tune WAYFARING STRANGER, American folk melody.

 

 

A response to the lectionary gospel reading for Lent 5B. I am far more capable of writing a hymn developed from that reading than I am of preparing a sermon on it. The tune is familiar to most, I’d guess, but appears in about a million different versions; adapt as needed. (This is not to be confused with the tune that appears in Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal as #437.)

Rend your hearts and not your garments

Rend your hearts and not your garments, let repentance never cease.

Fast with weeping and with mourning, let your cries to God increase.

Turn to God with all your heart, so that sin and wrong depart.

 

Let your heart be broken fully for the sin we all have done.

Swayed by fear and filled with hatred, webs of wrong that we have spun; 

Turn from such indulgence now! Our God longs to show us how.

 

Let your heart be broken also for the right we have not done;

Works of love and life-repairing that we still have not begun.

Let us turn to God aright and do justice in God’s sight.

 

Now return to God Almighty all of your allegiance due; 

Slow to anger, sure in loving, gracious, merciful, and true,

Turn to God with all your heart, so that sin and wrong depart.

 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, March 2021; after Joel 2:12-13

MUSIC: Tune LUX PRIMA, Charles Gounod, 1872.

Another visit to scrpture texts primarily associated with Ash Wednesday, written within the framework of Lent more generally. The outer verses derive from Joel, while the second and third verses point towards the repentance we need to engage, for both "sins of commission and sins of omission" as they were called when I was young. (Also, I did not know that there was a tune by Charles Gounod in our hymnal.). 

You teach us (A Chorale of Humility)

You teach us, if in union with you we choose to live, 

In sweet and sure communion with all the love you give, 

Our gifts should not be posing or full of false display; 

But in your love disclosing you give us words to say.

 

To hallow and adore you and seek your reign to come,

You bid us pray, and then do for all, not only some; 

To seek you in a still space, a quiet room to pray – 

Not public noisy, loud place of vain, coarse show and play.

 

Teach us in time of fasting to lay earth’s pleasures down

With hope and smile yet lasting, not sore or gloomy frown.

Lead us to lay aside here those treasures we adore,

But cling to gifts you hold dear and give to make us more.

 

Wipe out our preening bluster, reject our prayers of pride; 

Refuse vain words we muster with no true faith inside.

Forgive our rude transgression, and lead our prayers to be

Full sure and true confession that only you we see.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, February 2021; after Matthew 6:1-21

MUSIC: Suggested tune PASSION CHORALE, Hans Leo Hassler, 1621. 

 

 

A hymn from Lent, after a fashion. Much of this Matthew 6 material appears in the lectionary for Ash Wednesday, so maybe the connection isn’t too farfetched. I confess that as these words selected this tune in my head, I was hearing Paul Simon’s guitar more than Bach’s organ.

 

Like Waves Upon the Shore

O God of time and all our years,

Of all that comes and came before,

Hold us against our doubts and fears 

That crash like waves upon the shore.

 

We’ve acted out in cruel ways,

Indulged in hates we should abhor.

Our anger flared in fiery blaze

And crashed like waves upon the shore.

 

You claim all peoples as your own;

Against those neighbors we’ve waged war. 

Lord, still the furies that we’ve sown

That crash like waves upon the shore.

 

Cast out our fear, tear out our hate,

Upon our souls your grace outpour.

Your restoration we await,

That flows like waves upon the shore.

 

Fill us with love, and give us poise 

So that, repenting, we restore.

Make us the vessel for your joys

That flow like waves upon the shore.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, January 2021.

MUSIC: Tune O WALY WALY, English folk melody.

An attempt to imagine a particular situation of repentance.

With the rising of the sun

With the rising of the sun, we wait for the Savior,

Long-foretold, the Promised One, born of God’s own favor.

He who comes from Bethlehem, told in prophet-story,

Stands to feed God’s children all, full of power and glory.

 

With the rising of the sun, we wait for the Savior,

Long-foretold, the Promised One, born of God’s own favor.

Come to tear the powerful down and lift up the lowly,

He is God’s own Mighty One, and his name is holy.

 

With the rising of the sun, we wait for the Savior,

Long-foretold, the Promised One, born of God’s own favor.­

He comes now to do God’s will, all that is God’s pleasure,

And to sanctify us all, as our God does measure.

 

With the rising of the sun, we wait for the Savior,

Long-foretold, the Promised One, born of God’s own favor.

One who comes to save us all, healing and restoring,

This is he who makes our hearts joyful and adoring.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, January 2021, after Advent 4C scriptures

MUSIC: Tune TEMPUS ADEST FLORIDUM, Piae Cantiones, 1582

 

Part of the Advent Hymnary project.