Psalm 137:1-3
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2There on the willowsa
we hung our harps,
3for there our captors requested a song;
our tormentors demanded songs of joy:
we hung our harps,
3for there our captors requested a song;
our tormentors demanded songs of joy:
Sometimes when I see the sparse masked attenders at church
(due to covid restrictions)
and as we meet masked shoppers and we hear of old people
literally dying of loneliness I pine deeply for a pre-Covid world and
I wonder if this is a teeniest glimpse what the Israelites felt like as they
hung their harps/instruments of praise on the willows
by the river of Babylon
and wept for the old days/Zion...
Let's not hang up the instrument He has given us to play
but no matter what play to praise Him!!
What has the master lent to thee thy calling to fulfill
In life’s great orchestra, what instrument did He instill
What gift, what tool, what trade did He entrust to His increase
Where we all have a part to play in Life’s Great Masterpiece
No matter where we stand or sit or lie, the Lord is near
He keeps careful account with watchful eye and listening ear
Then oh, take heart; He makes us able to master the skill
It takes to learn to play our part according to His will
Sometimes our fingers get so sore and oh, we get so tired
Sometimes the ‘music’ feels like war, its order undesired
Sometimes the composition seems to make no sense at all
And then sometimes we try to rearrange His sacred call
Forgive us when the Melody is nothing like You planned
Because we shift our focus from the Baton in command
Where no one is too high or low to love our fellowman
And heed its call whereby we go in Life’s Great Masterplan
We ought not hang our harps upon a willow tree and weep
And pine for days gone by; we have an awesome charge to keep
Then pray we do not wish for someone else’s tool or quest
But humbly seek His purpose and honour Him with our best
What has He lent to you and me, to serve with perfect joy
No instrument is insignificant in His employ
Then oh, take heart and do not long for exchange or release
For we all play an awesome part in Life’s Great Masterpiece
…where God hears every lisp and lilt, each minor syllable
In life’s great orchestra no player is invisible
Then oh take heart; let’s play our part without reserve because
Soon our tools will fade into faith’s thundering applause
© Janet Martin
Can't find your instrument?
and as we meet masked shoppers and we hear of old people
literally dying of loneliness I pine deeply for a pre-Covid world and
I wonder if this is a teeniest glimpse what the Israelites felt like as they
hung their harps/instruments of praise on the willows
by the river of Babylon
and wept for the old days/Zion...
Let's not hang up the instrument He has given us to play
but no matter what play to praise Him!!
What has the master lent to thee thy calling to fulfill
In life’s great orchestra, what instrument did He instill
What gift, what tool, what trade did He entrust to His increase
Where we all have a part to play in Life’s Great Masterpiece
No matter where we stand or sit or lie, the Lord is near
He keeps careful account with watchful eye and listening ear
Then oh, take heart; He makes us able to master the skill
It takes to learn to play our part according to His will
Sometimes our fingers get so sore and oh, we get so tired
Sometimes the ‘music’ feels like war, its order undesired
Sometimes the composition seems to make no sense at all
And then sometimes we try to rearrange His sacred call
Forgive us when the Melody is nothing like You planned
Because we shift our focus from the Baton in command
Where no one is too high or low to love our fellowman
And heed its call whereby we go in Life’s Great Masterplan
We ought not hang our harps upon a willow tree and weep
And pine for days gone by; we have an awesome charge to keep
Then pray we do not wish for someone else’s tool or quest
But humbly seek His purpose and honour Him with our best
What has He lent to you and me, to serve with perfect joy
No instrument is insignificant in His employ
Then oh, take heart and do not long for exchange or release
For we all play an awesome part in Life’s Great Masterpiece
…where God hears every lisp and lilt, each minor syllable
In life’s great orchestra no player is invisible
Then oh take heart; let’s play our part without reserve because
Soon our tools will fade into faith’s thundering applause
© Janet Martin
Can't find your instrument?
Get on thy knees...
The devotions of the past 3 days convicted/encouraged me to give Him my all
no matter what!!
"By the Waters of Babylon" is a hymn that is very meaningful in the Orthodox Church; we sing it in the weeks just before entering Great Lent. I've never before heard it sung outside of that context. You might be interested to hear the emotional tone of it as we know it. I looked for a video that was similar to how my parish sings it, but there was nothing exactly the same, except the words ;-)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s55C2ihnPfQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ1FX6LVXP8&t=68s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ydWBbCa4Jg
Thanks for the prompt! As I listened to this hymn not while standing in church, I noticed more the poetic than the spiritual aspect. It really is beautiful as poetry, and very moving.
Thank-you so much for this insight! Can't wait to listen to the links you shared while I finish canning the pears:)
ReplyDeleteto think I thought I could peel pears while listening to it?!! Totally mesmerizing!
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