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Tuesday, 11 August 2015

Jesus, our strength, our hope,

I've been working on this rewrite of a Charles Wesley hymn;

 It was an oddly complicated, but interesting creative process to try to give this a slightly more modern feel.

N.B. I quite like this to the tune Diademata (Crown him with many crowns) However, I think my own tune may help bring out some of the meaning in the lyrics;
You can hear a version of this here; 


Jesus, our strength, our hope,
- Pete Brazier & Charles Wesley
2015 & 1742
Jesus, my Strength, my Hope,
- Charles Wesley
Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1742
Jesus, our strength, our hope,
On you we lay our care,
With humble confidence look up,
And know you hear our prayer.
Let us on you await
Till all things can we do;
On you, the one who does create,
And shall make all things new.

We want a clearer mind,
A self-renouncing will,
That takes apart and leaves behind
Temptation's fleeting thrill;
A soul not scared of pain,
Of hardship, grief, and loss,
Bold to take up, firm to sustain
That consecrated cross.

We want a careful ear,
A quick discerning eye
That looks to you when sin is near
And hears the tempter fly;
A soul ever prepared
And armed with conscious care,
Forever standing on its guard
And keeping watch in prayer.

We want a heart to pray,
To pray and never cease,
Not mutter words about your way,
Or wish our sufferings less.
This blessing, above all,
Always to cry to you,
Out of the deep on you we call,
Until this life is through.

We want a true regard,
A single, steady aim,
Unmoved by threat'ning or reward
To you and your great Name.
A clear and just concern
For your immortal praise;
A pure desire that all may learn
And glorify your grace.

We rest upon your Word;
Its promise ever true;
Our comfort and salvation, Lord,
Shall surely come from you.
But let us still abide,
Nor from our hope remove,
Till you, our longing spirits, guide
Into your perfect groove.

We want with every heart
Your pleasure to fulfil,
To know ourselves, and thus to start,
To know your perfect will.
We want, we know not yet,
We want our wants to see
We want what sadly we forget
When God is not in me
Jesus, my Strength, my Hope,
On Thee I cast my care,
With humble confidence look up,
And know Thou hear’st my prayer.
Give me on Thee to wait
Till I can all things do;
On Thee, almighty to create,
Almighty to renew.

I want a sober mind,
A self-renouncing will,
That tramples down and casts behind
The baits of pleasing ill;
A soul inured to pain,
To hardship, grief, and loss,
Bold to take up, firm to sustain
The consecrated cross.

I want a godly fear,
A quick discerning eye
That looks to Thee when sin is near
And sees the tempter fly;
A spirit still prepared
And armed with jealous care,
Forever standing on its guard
And watching unto prayer.

I want a heart to pray,
To pray and never cease,
Never to murmur at Thy stay,
Or wish my sufferings less.
This blessing, above all,
Always to pray, I want,
Out of the deep on Thee to call,
And never, never faint.

I want a true regard,
A single, steady aim,
Unmoved by threat’ning or reward
To Thee and Thy great Name.
A jealous, just concern
For Thine immortal praise;
A pure desire that all may learn
And glorify Thy grace.

I rest upon Thy Word;
The promise is for me;
My comfort and salvation, Lord,
Shall surely come from Thee.
But let me still abide,
Nor from my hope remove,
Till Thou my patient spirit guide
Into Thy perfect love.

I want with all my heart
Thy pleasure to fulfil,
To know myself, and what Thou art,
And what Thy perfect will.
I want I know not what,
I want my wants to see,
I want—alas! what want I not,
When Thou art not in me?


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