The Holy Spirit Descending

Image Source = Wikipedia

Original words by Bianco da Siena (died 1434?), a monk

English translation by Richard Frederick Littledale (1833-1890), an Anglo-Catholic priest of The Church of England; Littledale had a nearly photographic memory and great literary skill, which he had time to put to great use because his frequently bad health prevented him from usual priestly duties other than hearing confessions; He also translated many old hymns into English and edited hymnals and liturgical books

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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1.  Come down, O love divine,

seek thou this soul of mine,

and visit it with thine own ardor glowing.

O Comforter, draw near,

within my heart appear,

and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

2.  O let it freely burn,

till earthly passions turn

to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;

and let thy glorious light

shine ever on my sight,

and clothe me round, my onward path illuming.

3.  Let holy charity

mine outward vesture be,

and lowliness become mine inner clothing,

true lowliness of heart,

which takes the humbler part,

and o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

4.  And so the yearning strong

with which the soul will long

shall far outpass the power of human telling;

for none can guess its grace,

till he become the place

wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.

Above:  Tree Roots

Image Source = Emery

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WisconsinScenery.jpg)

Poem Source = American Poetry

(http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/eecummings/11931)

Words by Edward Estlin Cummings (e. e. cummings), who lived from 1894 to 1962

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i thank You God for this most amazing

day:for the leaping of greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

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(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth

day of life and love and wings:and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

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how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any–lifted from the no

all of nothing–human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

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(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Dusk

Image Source = Wikipedia

Hymn Source = The Methodist Hymnal (1935), of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Protestant Church, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, forebears of The Methodist Church (1939-1968) and The United Methodist Church (1968-)

Words by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

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1.  When on my day of life the night is falling,

And, in the wind from unsunned spaces blown,

I hear far voices out of darkness calling

My feet to paths unknown;

2.  Thou, who hast made my home of life so pleasant,

Leave not its tenant when its walls decay;

O Love Divine, O Helper ever present,

Be Thou my strength and stay.

3.  I have but Thee, my Father! let Thy Spirit

Be with me then to comfort and uphold;

No gate of pearl, no branch of palm I merit,

Nor street of shining gold.

4.  Suffice it if my good and ill unreckoned,

And both forgiven thro’ Thine abounding grace–

I find my self by hands familiar beckoned

Unto my fitting place,–

5.  Some humble door among Thy many mansions,

Some sheltering shade where sin and striving cease,

And flows for ever through heaven’s green expansions

The river of thy peace.

6.  There, from the music round about me stealing,

I fain would learn the new and holy song,

And find at last, beneath Thy trees of healing,

The life for which I long.

John Greenleaf Whittier

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The Hymnal (1911), the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

Words by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) in 1867

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1.  I bow my forehead to the dust,

I veil mine eyes for shame,

And urge, in trembling distrust,

A prayer without a claim.

No offering of mine own I have,

No works my faith to prove;

I can but give the gifts He gave,

And plead His love for love.

2.  I know not what the future hath

Of marvel or surprise,

Assured alone that life and death

His mercy underlies.

And so beside the silent sea

I wait the muffled oar;

No harm from Him can come to me

On Ocean or on shore.

3.  I know not where His islands lift

Their fronded palms in air;

I only know I cannot drift

Beyond His love and care.

And Thou, O Lord, by whom are seen

Thy creatures as they be,

Forgive me if too close I lean

My human heart on Thee.

Sunrise on the Sea of Galilee

Image Source = U.S. Library of Congress

(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/matpc.22956/)

Words by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), a great American poet

Hymn Source = Hymnbook for Christian Worship (1970), of the American Baptist Convention and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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1.  Dear Lord and Father of Mankind,

Forgive our foolish ways!

Reclothe us in our rightful mind,

In purer lives thy service find,

In deeper reverence, praise.

2.  In simple trust like theirs who heard,

Beside the Syrian sea,

The gracious calling of the Lord,

Let us, like them, without a word,

Rise up and follow thee.

3.  O Sabbath rest by Galilee!

O calm of hills above,

Where Jesus knelt to share with theee

The silence of eternity,

Interpreted by love!

4. Drop thy still dews of quietness,

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of thy peace.

5.  Breathe through the heats of our desire

Thy coolness and thy balm;

Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;

Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,

O still, small voice of calm.

Above:  John Greenleaf Whittier

Image Source = Wikipedia

Words by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), U.S. Quaker and Poet

Hymn Source = Hymnbook for Christian Worship (1970), of the American Baptist Convention and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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1.  Immortal Love, forever full,

Forever flowing free,

Forever shared, forever whole,

A never ebbing sea!

2.  We may not climb the heavenly steeps

To bring the Lord Christ down;

In vain we search the lowest deeps,

For him no depths can drown.

3.  But warm, sweet, tender, even yet

A present help is he;

And faith has still its Olivet,

And love its Galilee.

4.  The healing of his seamless dress

Is by our beds of pain;

We touch him in life’s throng and press

And we are whole again.

5.  O Lord and Master of us all,

What e’er our name or sign,

We own thy sway, we hear thy call,

We test our lives by thine.

Above:  Church of the Transfiguration, Rome, Georgia, August 7, 2011

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Hymn Source = The Hymnal (1895), the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America

Words (in 1834) by Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847), a Scottish Episcopalian priest and poet

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1.  God of mercy, God of grace,

Show us the brightness of Thy face;

Shine upon us, Saviour, shine,

Fill Thy Church with light divine;

And thy saving health extend

Unto earth’s remotest end.

2.  Let the people praise Thee, Lord;

Be by all that live adored.

Let the nations shout and sing

Glory to their Saviour King;

At Thy feet their tribute pay,

And Thy holy will obey.

3.  Let the people praise Thee, Lord;

Earth shall then her fruits afford;

God to man His blessing give,

Men to God devoted live;

All below, and all above,

One in joy, and light, and love.

Above:  The Conversion of Saint Paul, by Caravaggio

Image Source = Wikipedia

Poem (undated; published in 1883) by John Dodson Taylor, Sr., my paternal great-grandfather

Text based on Acts 9:6, from the conversion of St. Paul

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Why thus has been my mission masked?

God’s purpose in me hid from view;

Have I ne’er with his servant asked

Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

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That I may honor Lord, Thy name,

And sin in all its forms eschew–

Man’s only purpose, highest aim–

Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

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That my life be one that shall prove

A life to right and virtue true,

And end at last in one above,

Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/fifteenth-day-of-easter-third-sunday-of-easter-year-c/

Above:  What Our Saviour Saw from the Cross, by James Tissot

Image Source = Wikipedia

Poem (late 1970s) by Sally Taylor, my mother

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How can I thank you

For all that you’ve done?

For giving me a precious son

And daughter whom I love,

And all your blessings

From heaven above.

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I don’t deserve your special favors

Which you bestow so generously,

How can I repay those debts,

While in this world I remain, yet

I can try to do your will,

And others to  your love direct.

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You gave your life on Calvary’s tree,

And this, Dear Lord, you gave for me.

And for this deed I love you so,

And praise your name, the world to show

That you are all you claim to be,

The Savior of all humanity.

Above:  Prayer

Image Source = Wikipedia

Poem (late 1970s) by Sally Taylor, my mother

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I’m not as good as I’d like to be.

I see my faults.  Sometimes I don’t like me.

I’d rather forget they even existed.

But despite me, they’ve continually persisted.

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Oh, I’m in such a quandary.

What’s the point of fret or worry?

Pondering them might make me wonder

If I could do any more than blunder.

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There must be something right I’ve done,

I’ve tried, Dear Lord, and your blessings come.

But the good that you have found in me

Is more than I’ve been able to see.