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Composer Russell Schulz-Widmar
and Alfred V. Fedak
Text Carl P. Daw, Jr .
Voicing SATB, keyboard
Topics Ministry and Service, Praise and Adoration, Trinity
Length 3' 15" Price $1.95 (U.S.)
Released 11/06
Catalog no. 420-633 Difficulty Mod. easy |
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Description
Carl P. Daw, Jr.'s text "We Come, O Christ" was commissioned by Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was first sung at a festival of Daw's hymns there on March 10, 1993. In writing this hymn for seminarians, the informing biblical even was the appeal to Jesus for special consideration of James and John (Matthew 20:20-28 and Mark 10:35-45). The third line of stanza three adapts line 40 of John Donne's "Good Friday 1613. Riding Westward." The fourth stanza was written at the request of Russell Schulz-Widmar especially for this anthem version. Its scriptural references are Matthew 11:29-30 and Matthew 6:10/Luke 11:2.
Alfred V. Fedak's hymn tune RATHERVUE connects this hymn text with The Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, where both Daw and Fedak, along with four other people engaged in the making of hymns, were Visiting Fellows during two weeks in February 1995. The tune name commemorates the street on which the seminary is located. Russell Schulz-Widmar was Associate Professor of Church Music, Organist and Choirmaster at The Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, in Austin, Texas, from 1974 to 2012.
Text
We come, O Christ, as people seeking
some sign of blessing on our lives,
yet scarcely pause to hear you speaking
or wait until your time arrives:
help us let go, help us be still,
in patience may we learn your will.
To taste the cross within the chalice,
to hear the music born of grief,
to feel the hurt concealed by malice,
to sense in doubt unripe belief:
give us, O God, new hearts, new eyes;
wake us to love and make us wise.
Renewing Spirit, come breathe through us
with hope that heals, with faith that thrills;
burn off the sins still clinging to us,
transform our minds, convert our wills:
so may your gifts of grace increase
to send us forth in love and peace.
Unite our hearts and shape our living
to share the yoke that sets us free:
great Triune God, joined by self-giving,
the life of true community,
our many prayers at last make one:
"Your kingdome come, your will be done."
---Carl P. Daw, Jr.
Text © 1992, 2006 Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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