God, give us grace to grieve aright

God, give us grace to grieve aright; our souls cry out in pain.

Our hearts are filled with longing for your healing touch again.

We grieve for those we’ve lost in death, from past years ‘til today. 

The gaping hole left in our hearts will never go away. 

 

God, give us grace to grieve aright; our nation bears the scar

Of lives once taken much too soon in battles near and far.

In blessed memory, let us all resolve that war shall cease,

And that our days be lived in full for justice and for peace.

 

God, give us grace to grieve aright; we reel from tragedy

For thousand thousands who have died in painful agony.

Pandemic grief, that overwhelms and numbs us to its power, 

We lay before you, gracious God, in this and every hour.

 

God, give us grace to grieve aright; even after many years,

The loss of loved ones long ago can still bring us to tears.

For grief that ever lingers on, compelling still today,

We lean upon your loving care that never goes away. 

 

God, give us grace to grieve aright, that even in times of glee,

We still may hear the anguished cries of those on bended knee

Who grieve and mourn with breaking hearts and for dear comfort plead; 

May we, who know this sorrow well, be present in their need.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, May 2021.

MUSIC: Possible tunes:

            MOSHER, Sally Ann Morris, 1995. Copyright 1998 GIA Publications, Inc.

            SALVATION, Kentucky Harmony, 1816 (used here).

            KINGSFOLD, English Country Songs, 1893 (harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906).

            RESIGNATION, USA folk melody, Lewis’s Beauties of Harmony (various harmonizations).

 

 

While written on Memorial Day (which certainly provided some prompting), this hymn also touches on the post-pandemic reckoning of grief and loss as well as the more personal and lingering losses felt over great lengths of time that many of us know. It ends with a plea that we be present for those suffering sorrow, even in our own good times.

We sing of God

We sing of God, Creator High, the Sovereign on whom we rely

For life and breath and everything that makes the faithful heart to sing.

 

We sing of God, redeeming Son by whom all victory is won, 

Who showed us love and taught us prayer and charges us his truth to share.

 

We sing of God, the Spirit free, sustaining us so we might be,

From tongues like fire to wordless sighs, upheld in faith and rendered wise.

 

We sing of holy mystery, this undivided Trinity,

And praises give in everything to this one God of whom we sing.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, May 2021.

MUSIC: Possible tunes:

            WAREHAM, William Knapp, 1738.

            WINCHESTER NEW, Musikalisches Handbuch, 1650; harm. William Henry Havergal, 1847; alt.

            TALLIS’ CANON, Thomas Tallis; adapt. Parker’s Whole Psalter, c. 1561.

A hymn for Trinity Sunday, in which for all the work of trying to say something the last thing to speak of is mystery, that is, to admit to not knowing. This seems wise for the whole doctrine of the Trinity.

See our Jesus now ascending

See our Jesus now ascending, heaven-bound for us to plead! 

Now, his earthly work completed, he for us will intercede

For our pains and for our sufferings, for our want and daily need.

 

See his body lifted upward, wounded hands and feet and side!

Every scar is now exalted, every wound is sanctified.

Crucified and then arisen, now forever glorified!

 

His disciples upward gazing, mute in wonder at the sight;

Now their Friend and true Companion from their side has taken flight.

Now his call is their commission as he takes to holy height.

 

Praise to God the great Creator; praise to God, redeeming Son;

Praise to God, sustaining Spirit, one in three and three in one.

So it was in the beginning, and shall be ‘til time is done.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, May 2021, after Luke 24:36-53.

MUSIC: Suggested tune WESTMINSTER ABBEY, Henry Purcell, 1680; adapt. Ernest Hawkins, 1843.

 

 

So apparently, I have a thing for overlooked occasions on the liturgical calendar. After the somewhat longer struggle to complete the previous entry, “When Jesus knew his time had come,” this text fell together ridiculously fast while preparing to give a devotional on “Christ is Made the Sure Foundation” as paired with WESTMINSTER ABBEY in Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal. If only either one had come together early enough to get into the recording process for the week’s service…

When Jesus knew his time had come

When Jesus knew his time had come, his followers he drew near

And gave this word to comfort them and drive away their last fear.

 

“The Holy Spirit’s guiding power will surely come upon you,

And to the world my Word you’ll take; my witness lives within you.”

 

When this he said, they watched, and lo! their Lord was lifted upward!

In holy cloud he was caught up and no more was his voice heard.

 

While this their eyes were following with wonder and amazement,

Two bright-robed men had drawn nearby to bear a witness heaven-sent: 

 

“Why do you stand here looking up? This Jesus you have witnessed

Will yet return in this same way, all sanctified and heaven-blessed.”

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, May 2021, after Acts 1:1-11

MUSIC: Suggested tune ST. COLUMBA, Irish melody.

 

 

So Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal contains a section of hymns labeled “Ascension and Reign.” In truth, though, only one of the hymns contained therein is really about the Ascension itself. Of course that was going to provoke a hymn for Ascension.  

The true Vine is Jesus

The true Vine is Jesus, our Savior and Lord,

And God is the vinegrower, faithful and true.

That Vine God is pruning in all good accord;

It bears faithful fruit that is freshening and new.

 

The true vine is Jesus, both faithful and sure,

And we are the branches, now cleansed by his word.

As branches we dwell in the Vine strong and pure,

And by that good nurture our fulness is stirred.

 

Remain and abide in our only true Vine

And we will bear fruit that gives life to the soul.

So Jesus is blessed when by God’s good design

We are true disciples, all fruitful and whole.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, April 2021, after John 15:1-8

MUSIC: Tune FOUNDATION, American folk melody; Funk’s Genuine Church Music, 1832; alt.

 

 

This reading for Easter 5B is often read as partly threat; what does not bear fruit is tossed away and burned. It becomes easy to miss the promise – abide in the vine and you will bear fruit. This hymn response to the scripture tries to emphasize the latter.

 

The stone was rolled away

The stone was rolled away that Easter morn, that day when death was slain, and hope was born.

Three followers had come at dawn’s first light, and what they saw and heard set them to fright.

The stone was rolled away that Easter morn, that day when death was slain, and hope was born.

 

A young man dressed in white sat to one side; he said, “You seek one who was crucified;

But Jesus is not here; he has been raised!” And so the three were frightened and amazed.

The stone was rolled away that Easter morn, that day when death was slain, and hope was born.

 

“He goes ahead of you to Galilee; he’s waiting there for you to come and see.

Tell his disciples all, and Peter too, to follow there and hear his call to you.”

The stone was rolled away that Easter morn, that day when death was slain, and hope was born.

 

This is the calling still, to us today: to follow Jesus on his saving way.

He bids us come so he new life can give; so will we follow Jesus Christ and live?

The stone was rolled away that Easter morn, that day when death was slain, and hope was born.

 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, April 2021, after Mark 16:1-7

MUSIC: Tune VENITE ADOREMUS, Italian folk melody, Children's Praise, 1871

This one was a struggle from first idea to final form (for now). Only when this tune (mostly associated with a Christmas text in hymnals) somehow popped up randomly in my brain did the text begin to take shape. To me the great value of this particular Easter account is the open-ended quality of its seemingly unfinished narrative; the question is open to us, will we "go to Galilee?" Will we follow where Jesus has gone? 

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).