Some songs for our time

 Songs often speak for me when talking cannot express what's in my heart. 

All my life until recently, the hymnody of church and the songs learned as they were written through the years spoke for the faith I feel, carried the light I bear inside. But the church has moved away from those songs. When I go to worship now, I don't know the songs they are singing. I expect I can learn the new ones — I mean, why not? But it feels as though a lifelong pilgrimage has been erased. The songs were what said it for me.

Today I was online sorting out some financial transactions, and went on to YouTube to see what was happening there. Much to my surprise, I landed there just as a livestream was starting for the funeral of a friend from long ago — a woman I knew at the time my children were being born, back in the days of the Ashburnham Stable Family. It was forty years ago, but she comes back to my mind from time to time, because she was very unusual, a complete original with dauntless faith, full on hope, her life centred on Jesus. 

I needed to put through the things I was engaged on, but at the same time I was listening to the prayers and tributes from her funeral. And at one point near to the end, they sang this song that I love. 

I've listened to it over and over through this afternoon.

Yesterday, a different song was on my mind. Back in 1972, when I first gave my heart to Jesus, an LP — a vinyl disc — came out, called God's People Give Thanks. I see it's still possible to buy it on eBay, though I no longer have a record player that would allow me to listen to it. At the time I borrowed it from a friend, and the record player I had then was borrowed from another friend. There was one particular song on that album I'd never heard before. I listened to it over and over. I loved it so much. It was William Featherstone's hymn, My Jesus, I love Thee. This one.

And that was what I listened to for much of yesterday.

But then online today I came across this song by Josh Groban, and it struck me as remarkably apposite for the way many of us are feeling as we try to hold our light steady and keep walking forward.

But, honest and real though that is, for me the hymns and songs we sing are not so much to express how we feel, but more to strengthen us, to steady us. And there are few songs I know better than this one, for achieving that. 

It was put out for the time of the Covid pandemic, but I think it might be what I want to say for all times, forever.

May his presence go before you

And behind you, and beside you,

All around you and within you,

He is with you, he is with you

In the morning, in the evening,

In your coming, in your going,

In your weeping, and rejoicing,

He is for you, he is for you,

He is for you, he is for you,

He is for you, he is for you,

Amen! Amen! Amen!

And one more.