Jim’s prompt for today is “Acquire/Collect/Gather/Secure,” and it reminded me of a song we used to play back in my Music Ministry days, “Gather Us In” by Marty Haugen. Haugen is a member of the United Church of Christ, but was raised in the Lutheran church and has written some of the most beautiful liturgical music used in Catholic worship. He’s recorded a number of albums, most of which can be found at Christian bookstores and online, and even has his own Spotify channel.
The lyrics are courtesy of SongLyrics.com:
Now is the darkness vanished away
See in this space our fears and our dreamings
Brought here to you in the light of this day
Gather us in, the lost and forsaken
Gather us in, the blind and the lame
Call to us now and we shall awaken
We shall arise at the sound of our name
We are the young, our lives are a mystery
We are the old who yearn for your face
We have been sung throughout all of history
Called to be light to the whole human race
Gather us in, the rich and the haughty
Gather us in, the proud and the strong
Give us a heart so meek and so lowly
Give us the courage to enter the song
Here we will take the wine and the water
Here we will take the bread of new birth
Here you shall call your sons and your daughters
Call us anew to be salt for the earth
Give us to drink the wine of compassion
Give us to eat the bread that is you
Nourish us well and teach us to fashion
Lives that are holy and hearts that are true
(bridge)
Not in the dark of buildings confining
Not in some heaven light years away
But here in this place the new light is shining
Now is the kingdom, now is the day
Gather us in and hold us forever
Gather us in and make us your own
Gather us in, all peoples together
Fire of love in our flesh and our bones
Fire of love in our flesh and our bones
And that’s Song Lyric Sunday and Song of the Day for August 2, 2020.
One of my absolute favorites. Thanks for sharing.
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One of mine as well. It was great fun to play.
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Nice song, very crisply performed here. Excellent gathering!
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Glad you enjoyed it!
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Beautiful song. “Give us to drink the wine of compassion”. Powerful song, John.
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I always thought so. I enjoyed playing this one.
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Interesting we both brought out gospel songs today. Church of Christ has been quite the influence. 🙂
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Must be something about Sunday…
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Must be! I’m a softy for gospel music. 😊
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Some soothing minstrel music today John, great choice.
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Glad you enjoyed it….
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Thanks for the background on this one! Hadn’t heard it in a few years, but a young men’s group sang it a few times as a call to worship when my children were in City Youth for Christ. 😊
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It was always one of my favorite songs to do. Marty Haugen is a remarkable songwriter.
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How lovely to be taken to a different genre of music today! It was very nice John. Had a folky feel to it. 🙂
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I try to do that whenever possible. Glad you enjoyed it!
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Thanks John 🙂👍
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Very nice John, I nearly went for Shall we gather at the river. 💜 The song has a very Irish sound to it 💜
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Probably the flutes at the beginning (or tin whistles, or recorders, or whatever).
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I think it’s just the lilting melidy
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Melody even 💜
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