Hymn: "Jesus, the Very Thought
of Thee" - 12th Century Latin, translated by Edward Caswal
Typical Tune: ST. AGNES
Although this great hymn text is often omitted from
newer hymnals, these hymn-lines still speak to me every time I hear them:
O Jesus, ever with us stay.
Make all our moments calm and bright.
Chase the dark night of sin away.
Shed o'er the world thy holy light.
In the Road to Emmaus account recorded in Luke's
gospel, after the people ended their walking/talking time with the risen Christ
on the road, they say to him, "Stay with us
because it almost evening and the day is now nearly over." (24:29)
This hymn-line voices that same desire, imploring
the Lord to 'stick around'... to always be near us like that stanza in
"Away in a Manger." Beyond that, however, this is a prayer for bright
attitudes and a calm spirit.
The Bible never uses the word "fun"; I'm
not even sure the most contemporary translations include that term. But the
Bible repeatedly talks to us about "joy" and "happiness."
When I pray for bright moments, that is what I have in mind: times when my life
is rich with moments spent with people I love and enjoy, projects completed
successfully, a sense of accomplishment, a little spell to laugh and sing (or
hum) a hymn. After all, hymn-humming is one of my favorite pastimes!
But the word that jumps out of this text and grabs
me most is "calm." In my asking Jesus to stay close by me forever, I
plead that he would keep me calm no matter what may come my way. As one who too
often has been known to "fly off the handle," this prayer for
calmness is sincere. Keep the top of my lake placid with as few ripples as
possible-- and no major splashes or wake from passing boats. It is not
exactly listed with the spiritual gifts, but it underlies them all; without the
sense of calm, none of the spiritual gifts can be successfully carried out. But
make no mistake: calmness is a spiritual gift!
I don't want to 'do' calm -- that is, force myself
to be at peace; I want to 'be' calm naturally... by the power of the Living
Christ who walks with me and talks with throughout the day -- and tells me I am
his own. At the end of the day when I change into my comfortable clothes and
slip on my house shoes, before I fall into my easy chair, I need to speak those
same words Jesus' roadies spoke to him with all earnestness: "Stay with
us." -- "Stay with me."
O Jesus, ever with us stay. (sigh) (smile)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5BnCZwCoLk
No comments:
Post a Comment
You are welcome to comment on any of the posts. They are sent to ME directly. Thanks for any feedback you would like to make.