Again, Richard has advised me, for the sake of worship-planners, to get any Holy Week hymns in early. Here is one for Maundy Thursday. One for Good Friday will follow in a few days.
Jesus kneels down,
Peter reels round
as he’s told to take a seat.
Jesus hushes,
Peter blushes
at the Lord who washes feet.
Role reversal,
a unique play,
dress rehearsal
for the Friday:
Praise the God of bowl and cross!
Praise the God of bowl and cross!
Back at table,
still unstable,
friends of Jesus reconstrue.
Reprimanded,
now commanded,
“Do what I have done for you!”
Love’s portrayal
while they’re eating;
Christ’s betrayal -
self-defeating:
Reigns the God of bowl and cross!
Reigns the God of bowl and cross!
(Tune: Infant Holy)
Kim Fabricius
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Richard 04.03.06 at 5:48 pm
I like that alot.
I’m not sure about the third line of the second verse, though. Is Reconstrue a word that’s readily understood?
Kim 04.03.06 at 6:18 pm
I knew Richard would pick up on “reconstrue” (as he picked up on the word “paradigm” in another hymn I have posted on Connexions)!
In my first draught, the line read “friends of Jesus get the clue”. But a few of my “advisers” didn’t like it - and one of them (who will remain namless - though she may like to name herself!) led my imagination in the way of “reconstrue” instead.
“Readily” understood? Perhaps not “readily”, but “pretty quickly” understood, I would have thought. “Jarringly” understood for sure - and that’s the point! However, if anyone wants to use the hymn with the first-draught line, feel free.
dh 04.04.06 at 12:01 am
Kim, what do you think of this poem to the song “As I survey the wonderous cross”? I thought that this tune would work with these words. What do you think Kim?
Beth 04.04.06 at 10:28 am
In my own defence, I did also suggest “think anew” as a replacement - I prefer this to either the original version or “reconstrue”!
dh - how do these words fit to the tune of “As I survey”? I’m confused.
dh 04.04.06 at 3:00 pm
Jesus kneels down Peter reels round
as he’s told to take a seat.
Jesus hushes Peter blushes
at the Lord who washes feet.
Role reversal a unique play,
dress rehearsal for the Friday:
Praise the God of bowl and cross!
Praise the God of bowl and cross!
Back at table still unstable,
friends of Jesus reconstrue.
Reprimanded now commanded,
“Do what I have done for you!â€
Love’s portrayal while they’re eating;
Christ’s betrayal -self-defeating:
Reigns the God of bowl and cross!
Reigns the God of bowl and cross!
Does this help? Beth Being that I can’t relay in words the pentameter I though changing the words for each phrase to the phrases of the song is the best I can do.
How about Believe anew? Just wondering
tortoise 04.04.06 at 3:35 pm
dh - the metre of Kim’s hymn, as you’ve layed it out, is 8787 8877.
Assuming that “As I survey” is the same hymn as “When I survey” (I can’t speak for Beth, but it’s the only one that springs to mind for me), its metre is 8888 8888. In other words, half of the lines in Kim’s hymn are one syllable too short to fit that tune.
Also, even in the 8-syllable lines, there’d be some rather odd stresses on words/syllables.
Of course, if “As I survey” is a different hymn, then ignore the above!
Also, I’m with Beth on “think anew”. Can’t be doing with all this jarringly understood malarkey
Craig 04.14.06 at 2:34 pm
Kim, used your hymn last night, seemed to be appreciated - so thanks for it.
We went with “think anew” for the contentious line.