Tuesday, January 24, 2012

This hymn is following me everywhere.

You know, you pick a hymn to sing at your wedding and all of a sudden it's the hymn you're supposed to read in your prayer book for the week; it's the hymn the speaker mentions in one of her talks and that you sing twice at the women's conference you attend that weekend; and then it's the hymn you sing twice at a students' leaders' conference the weekend after that.  It's a little freakish experience, but I do love this hymn:

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

(How come we never sing this third verse?  Is it because it makes the song too long?)
Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be though my dignity, Thou my delight;
Thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High king of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

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