Take My Life and Let It Be (Strength in Hymn)

"Take My Life and Let It Be"

Frances Ridley Havergal,  1874

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;

 

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee,

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing

Always, only, for my King;

Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,

Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold;

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,

Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine;

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure-store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee,

Ever, only, all for Thee.

About the Hymn

Frances Ridley Havergal, daughter of a British minister, consecrated her life to Jesus as a teenager in the mid 1800’s. A teacher, Mrs. Teed, had an indelible spiritual influence on her.  Frances never married, and only lived until age 42.  She was incredibly accomplished not only in academics but in personal ministry.  Though due to her poor health, she didn’t receive much formal education, she learned six languages, including Greek and Hebrew.  She was an excellent musician and wrote over 100 hymns.  Of the writing of this hymn, she is quoted here:

I went for a little visit of five days [to Areley House, Worcestershire, in December 1873]. There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted and long prayed for, some converted but not rejoicing Christians. [God] gave me the prayer, "Lord, give me all this house." And He just did! Before I left the house, everyone had got a blessing. The last night of my visit... I was too happy to sleep and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration, and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart, one after another, till they finished with "Ever, only, all, for Thee."

Why I Picked This Hymn

I picked this particular hymn for my Strength in Hymn series because I’ve been thinking lately about the topic of consecration – presenting yourself to God for his set-apart service.  So many of us started well in the Christian life but have wandered in one area another away from a whole-hearted devotion to Jesus and his ways.  Yet consecration is not a once in a lifetime offer.  It is something we do continually, in small ways from day to day, as well as more momentous recommitment and repentance at certain crossroads of life.  I am seeking ways to draw closer to God during a difficult season of life when it is more challenging to see his purposes and providences. 

If you like this hymn about how God uses each part of our bodies for his glory, you might also like my poem Corpus Christi.

About the Photographs

All of these pictures were taken at Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida.  I have visited there countless times over the past 30 years, often with several children, and especially enjoy the free admission on the first Monday of each month.  I’d been meaning to visit for a long time, but something always came up.  A few weeks ago, while my children were in school, I went all by myself and strolled around at my pleasure – through the lovely plant displays, past the sculptures, to the lake to feed the turtles with bits of stale tortillas and watch the stately heron.  I also toured the historic Leu House, decorated in Victorian style.  I’ll save those photos for another post.  I enjoy being refreshed with the beauty of God’s Creation as well as the creativity of people.

Other botanical garden posts:

Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania

Sarah P. Duke Gardens in North Carolina

Cypress Gardens in Florida

 Leu Gardens and a Busy Birthday for Melody

Leu Gardens Again!

Be Still

Other flower posts:

Still Blooming on a Chilly Morning

Still Life Magnolias

Flame Vine

Consider the Camellias

Sunrise and Camellias

In the Garden (When the Caregiver Needs Care)

A Bouquet for My Mommy

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles

www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com 

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (Strength in Hymn)

“O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus”

Samuel Trevor Francis

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!

Rolling as a mighty ocean

in its fullness over me!

Underneath me, all around me,

is the current of Thy love

Leading onward, leading homeward

to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

spread His praise from shore to shore!

How He loveth, ever loveth,

changeth never, nevermore!

How He watches o’er His loved ones,

died to call them all His own;

How for them He intercedeth,

watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

love of every love the best!

’Tis an ocean full of blessing,

’tis a haven giving rest!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

’tis a heaven of heavens to me;

And it lifts me up to glory,

for it lifts me up to Thee!

About the Hymn:  The hymn was written by Samuel Trevor Francis after a moment of despair when he was tempted to end his life by jumping from London’s Hungerford bridge into the turbulent waters below.  You can read more here at Songs and Hymns: O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus.   The hymn tune, “Ebenezer,” is Welsh and its name means “stone of help.”  It is also the tune for “Once to Every Man and Nation” by James R. Lowell, which I mentioned here: For Such a Time as This.

Why I Picked This Hymn:  This hymn has been on my list for upcoming Strength in Hymn posts for a while, but a recent beach trip with our family clinched the deal.  Of course this post needs ocean pictures!  I love the hymn, which we have often sung in church since I was a teenager, because it reminds me of the all-sufficient love of God even when I feel like I am overwhelmed with life.  He is very deep, but he paradoxically lifts me high.  The story of how this hymn was written brings to mind the beautiful old Simon & Garfunkel song “Bridge Over Troubled Water” that I’ve been listening to a lot lately.  (That's an understatement!)  I am thinking of a young friend of our family who is going through a very tough time, and how we’ve tried to be there for him - like a bridge over troubled water.  Our concern is not enough to fix his problems, but we do what we can.  We need to trust the love of God, which is far deeper, far wider, far higher.

With God's love,

Virginia Knowles

www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com

If You Expect Real Respect...

If you expect real respect, show your strength, not your power. Lead with your character, not your charisma.  Cultivate your inner integrity, not your outer image.  Admit your weaknesses; don't pretend perfection.  Be tender-hearted yet tough enough to endure; don't be bitter or brittle.  Motivate with inspiration, not manipulation.  Leaders listen.

Embrace your equality with others.  Don't cling to (or hide behind) your gender, your color, your age, your wit, your wealth, your beauty, your education, your successes, your connections, your rank, or your title.  We need each other! 

Real respect is reflected in mutual consideration, cooperation, community, and most of all, compassion.  Respect flourishes when there is liberty and justice for all.  Look out for the least and the little, for the Greatest One is watching you.

If you want real respect, share it freely and fully with others; don't demand it for yourself.  Coerced admiration is worse than worthless.  Insincerity increases insecurity.  Flattery is a feigned feast that leaves you hungrier than ever.   Sham will not cover shame.  It is far better to be clothed with simple dignity than to be exposed as the “emperor who wore no clothes.” 

Real respect?  The kind that truly matters?  There is no other way.  If you expect real respect, just set your heart on becoming really respectable.

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A few more thoughts on my essay above...

A popular Christian blogger, Matt Walsh, recently wrote an article called "Your Husband Doesn't Have to Earn Your Respect" and set off a firestorm of nearly 2,000 comments so far.  The irony is that so many, while claiming to promote respect, expressed their viewpoints with words of contempt for the opinions and experiences of others.  Sarcasm, loaded language, subtle put downs, unveiled ad hominem attacks, insinuations, and presumption of motives all detracted from the conversation.  I prefer to be civil and cordial.

As I wrote, "I think it would be helpful to distinguish between kinds of respect. We can treat everyone with a basic dignity, especially a close family member, even if they don’t have particularly commendable behavior. This includes looking for the good and verbally acknowledging it, even when there are problems. It means overlooking what we can. That does not mean, however, that we have any obligation to admire the character of anyone who really has poor behavior." 

Reiterating this in my later comment: "Respect is important, no matter who you are, man or woman, young or old. Words have power. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can break my heart.  Basic dignity is due to all, no matter what. We should be courteous and kind, even if we do not agree, and even if we must, in good conscience, intervene to prevent destructive behavior.  Authentic trust and admiration are based on our perceptions of what someone is doing or saying. They can be built up or broken down. We can’t demand it. We have to earn it. That’s a fact of life."

I didn't say this in my comments on Walsh's blog post, but we should obviously have proper respect for position as well: spouse, parent, pastor, teacher, employer, government official, the elderly, those with whom we have business contracts, etc.  However, this is what we focus on when we think of respecting others, not what we can just assume as our absolute right when we are in those positions ourselves.   As a mother, I want my children to respect me.   As a teacher, I want my students to respect me.  There is nothing wrong with that, and I should be regularly encouraging them in that healthy habit.  After all, part of my job is keeping order in the home and classroom.  However, this is not for my own ego, but for their good, packing their "life toolbox" with skills for their success, both now and in the future.  If I expect a more meaningful personal (rather than positional) respect from them, I should try to live up to it. That starts with mutual respect.  The one who leads should be the one who serves.  Frankly, that has been a paradigm shift for me in recent years, and I still have a long way to go in both giving and receiving respect.  So really, you could say that I am writing to myself most of all.

I share those comments to clarify what I wrote in my little "If You Expect Real Respect" essay above.   That's not the only thing that prompted me to write today, however.  I see this issue of respect as an on-going and very pertinent theme in the Christian blogging community.  Though I have mainly been writing about old hymns lately, the main mission of this Watch the Shepherd blog is to address the issues of abuse of authority in families, churches, and religious organizations.  Why does this happen? Usually, it's because those who are in perceived positions of power are demanding respect but not giving it.  That is just my two cents worth.

There is so much more I could say.  I could think of numerous Scripture verses, Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and even links to other web sites.  In the interest of time, however, I'll leave you with these related posts from this blog instead...

• Manifesto of Liberty and Responsibility in Christian Families
• Dignity, Decisions, and Liberty of Conscience
• King Jesus vs. Yertle the Turtle
• Honesty, Respect, Leadership, and Academic Success
• Vision Forum and Friends: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

I would love to hear your thoughts about real respect, so leave a comment!

Virginia Knowles

www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com

How Great Thou Art (Strength in Hymn)

"How Great Thou Art"

Swedish poem by Carl Gustav Boberg (1885)

English translation and two verses by Stuart K. Hine (1920's)

O Lord my God, 

when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds 

thy hands have made,

I see the stars, 

I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout 

the universe displayed:

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! 

How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! 

How great thou art!

When through the woods 

and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds 

sing sweetly in the trees,

When I look down 

from lofty mountain grandeur,

And hear the brook 

and feel the gentle breeze:

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! 

How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! 

How great thou art!

And when I think that God, 

his Son not sparing,

Sent him to die, 

I scarce can take it in,

That on the cross, 

my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died 

to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! 

How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! 

How great thou art!

When Christ shall come 

with shout of acclamation

And take me home, 

what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow 

in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, 

My God, how great thou art!

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! 

How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! 

How great thou art!

About the Hymn:  "How Great Thou Art" started out as a Swedish poem in 1885. In the early 1920's, British missionary Stuart Hine was ministering in Poland and heard the words sung in Russian to the original Swedish melody. He translated it to English and added two verses, partly inspired by a hike in the Carpathian Mountains. Read more of the story here: HymnSite.

Why I Chose the Hymn: I first remember this from my teen years in the Presbyterian church, but I've probably sung it in every church I've been a member of since then.  It ranks as one of the all-time favorite Christian hymns, after "Amazing Grace."  I was thinking of it recently in light of my love for nature as a means of communicating God's glory and grace. I had it running through my head one evening as we passed by a lake on our way home from a church event. Two of my kids were bickering rather loudly. I asked them to stop, but I don't think they heard me, or at least they weren't paying attention. I thought, "Well then, Mama is just going to have to start singing!" And I did -- loudly, to drown out the conflict. Miracle of miracles, within a minute or so, they stopped the argument. Blissful silence reigned, only broken by calm apologies from both parties. Was it the hymn? Maybe not, but I tend to think it helped. I know words like these help to quiet my soul when a storm is raging inside. Yesterday I had a rough time of it - lack of sleep, kids not cooperating with my dreams of a clean house, and yes, a bit more bickering. I finally fled the house in the evening and drove to our church's ladies' Bible study at the home of a friend, even though I hadn't been in a year. I got there late, and stayed mostly silent during the study to keep my composure, but during prayer time, my tears flowed freely. The sweet ladies, some of them strangers to me, gathered around, laid hands on me, and prayed. They didn't need to know everything going on, just that a sister in Jesus needed a wee bit of encouragement and intercession. When I arrived home again, I was greeted with warm embraces from some of my children. Though I love the beauties of nature - clouds, trees, birds, flowers, lakes, and more - I think God's most awesome creation was human compassion and fellowship. That, and his Word, which assures us: "

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, 

He bled and died to take away my sin."  That's enough to make a soul sing.

About the Photos:  I took these pictures while walking around Crane's Roost, a suburban lake park. I like to take the time to really notice nature. I see the difference between the two palm trees.   One has great clumps of pollen on it; the other does not. They stand separately, but need each other for fruitfulness. I quietly followed the young blue heron as he strutted along the boardwalk and fluttered up to the railing. He evaded me with his amazing gift of flight. The squirrel, too, escaped my attentions by climbing a tree. Shadows, bare branches, small creatures, the vibrancy of purple pansies  and luminous yellow snap dragons, all there for us to enjoy. Glory to God. "How great Thou art!"

This post is part of my Strength in Hymn series, which combines vintage hymn lyrics, nature photography, and inspiration for those who have struggled in the Christian faith community.

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles

www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com

What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Strength in Hymn)

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

by Joseph Scriven, 1855

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer.

O what peace we often forfeit

O what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged.

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness.

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,

cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In his arms he'll take and shield thee;

thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised

Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing

all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded

there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship

will be our sweet portion there.

 

The Story Behind the Hymn:  Joseph Scriven, no stranger to grief himself (two fiances died) wrote this as a poem of comfort for his ailing mother back home in Ireland when he was living in Canada. He never married, and spent most of his life spreading the love and compassion of Jesus to those less fortunate. You can read the story here: What a Friend We Have in Jesus, The Story and the Song.

Why I Picked This Hymn:  

Like many of the other hymns in this series, this is one I sang quite often with my own children when they were younger. It is now all the more poignant to me as I have gone through so many more "sins and griefs" since then. During times of disillusionment, I would think, "At least there is Jesus. I can do life with Jesus. He is good and kind." At times, it was all I could do to say, "Dear sweet Jesus, help me. Have mercy on me."

This morning as I drove to work, I reflected on yet another story of abuse in a prominent conservative ministry. Tears came to my eyes thinking of those families who have been hurt and even destroyed over the course of decades through legalistic authoritarian teaching coupled with credible reports of immorality among leaders. My heart is so heavy just thinking of it. Yes, my own family was negatively affected too. Even though we were never close followers of the organization, its influence permeated some of the churches we attended, as well as the home schooling movement for the 20+ years we did that. What is particularly sad to me is that this is not the only group or leader with this magnitude of problems. One by one they go down - after they've already taken so many others down in the process. "Dear sweet Jesus, help us. Have mercy on us all."  

To be honest, the temptation for so many of us is to throw away Christianity as corrupt. Maybe not trashing Jesus himself - we will consider keeping him, though sometimes at a bit more of a distance. But we just can't bear all the flawed people who claim to follow him but lead others astray, all the people who claim to have all the right answers but haven't even learned to ask the right questions yet.

But pitching our shared community of faith is not the answer, even if we need to move on to another congregation for our own spiritual sanity. If anything, we need more people who follow and exalt Jesus rather than human leaders. We need more people who give their lives away in humble compassion, rather than grabbing for power and prestige in the name of piety. We need more people to bring us the authentic Jesus rather than a system of rigid rules and regulations. Let's be those people for others.

The call in this hymn is to prayer. Through the gracious gift of prayer, we bring it all to our dear friend Jesus - all the doubt, all the pain, all the anxiety, all the fear, all of whatever we can't even name. We bring that and then we sing, sing this sweet old hymn into our souls, whether in sound or in sacred silence. Let's take these vintage words and reclaim them for a new generation.

About the Photos:  All of the pictures in this post were taken at Lake Giles in Orlando when I went to a silent Refresh Retreat hosted by my friend Sandy. The rippled clouds caught my attention, as did the trees. Sometimes we soar upward into the sky like the tall palms. Sometimes we hang down low in grief, like the weeping willow. Sometimes we are all tangled up like the branches in one photo, and other times we're stuck in the mud like reeds. Wherever we are, Jesus is our blessed and precious friend, and he will help us.  

You might like these posts about the retreat: Kaleidoscope and Refresh Retreat. 





Other related posts on my blogs:

• Strength in Hymn series index
• Shimmer and Shadow (Poem)
• Disillusioned and Disappointed? Take It to Jesus!
• It Became to Me a Dark Thing (Poem)
• O God, Our Help in Ages Past (Strength in Hymn)
• Sweet Hour of Prayer (Strength in Hymn)
• Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (Strength in Hymn)
• I Dare Not Trust the Sweetest Frame? (Strength in Hymn)
• Dignity, Decisions, and Liberty of Conscience
• Gleaning Encouragement from Scriptures in Times of Disillusionment
• Recovering, Still...
• Lord, Have Mercy!
• Pilgrimage and Jubilee

On other sites, a little background to this story:

• The Gothard Files: A Case for Disqualification

• Vision Forum and Friends: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Shalom,
Virginia Knowles
www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com