(Image: Brentwood Baptist Church)
How long, God, will you forget me? How long hide your sweet face from me?
How long shall my mind be battered? How long shall my heart be shattered?
By my enemies defeated, by your faithless promise cheated,
Far from all your love and pleasure, you who were my greatest treasure.
Still I trust your tender mercy, cry out to my God to help me;
I remember how you’ve saved me, made a way where there was no way.
Look on me and answer my call; light my eyes, lest I to death fall;
Hold me as I weep, forsaken; comfort me for what’s been taken.
All my trust is your compassion, breaking heart at your Son’s passion;
All my hope is in your power, raising him from that dread hour.
Heart rejoicing in your presence, in your words and in your silence,
I will sing your praise, my true friend, for your fierce love which has no end.
Text: Laura M. Grimes, Psalm 13
Tune: Schmuecke dich LMD (Deck Thyself, My Soul With Gladness)
That has always been one of my favorite hymn tunes.
ReplyDeleteAnd one I only know from Protestant worship with my family--I love the resonance between the eucharistic/joyful words of the usual text and the lament theme. Sometimes I can pull off that connection--Ignatian Journey is set to Amazing Grace and a scriptural Mother God one I haven't posted yet to the lullaby/evening hymn tune All Through the Night. But sometimes I can just fit in a singable/familiar tune with the right meter for my rhyme scheme.
ReplyDelete