on the walk

Last night I was tired (not quite tired enough to sleep, which is nice because I was determined to end my night in prayer) and consequently when I turned to prayer I was wordless.  Silence did not seem an option for I knew that silent prayer would quickly become slumbering prayer.

So I grabbed a hymnal.

[For those readers who don't know what that is, a hymnal is a books of songs.  In the past there was a way to write down the music to a song using lines and dots indicating pitch and tempo.  In between these lines the lyrics would be printed.  Writing the music down with the dots was important because at that time many churches sang in what was once called four-part harmony. Printing the lyrics was necessary because there were a great many of them and they rarely repeated. And of course the digital projector had not been invented.]

I just sat there and sang 10 or 15 songs.  I mainly sang through the crucifixtion hymns and remembered what God has done for me through Christ.  I’ll share the lyrics to one.  If you remember the tune why don’t you find sometime today to sing it. In its original version, these lyrics are attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux.

O sacred head now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded with thorns thine only crown:
O sacred head what glory, what bliss till now was thine;
yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine.

What thou my Lord has suffered was all for sinners’ gain;
mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall my Savior! Tis I deserve thy place;
look on me with thy favor, and grant to me thy grace.

What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest friend,
for this thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord let me never, never outlive my love for thee.

on the walk

-Ethan

Trackback URI | Comments RSS