Jesus Will Not Refuse The Song
Words by Charles Wesley, Music by Carl Thomas Gladstone
Sing, ye ransomed nations, sing,
Praises to our new-born King,
Son of man our Maker is,
Lord of hosts and Prince of peace!
[chorus]
Jesus will not refuse the song
Ransomed nations sing along!
Will his majesty disdain
The poor shepherd's simple strain?
No; for Israel's shepherd, he
Loves their artless melody.
Let us then our Prince proclaim,
Humbly chant Immanuel's name,
Publish at his wondrous birth,
Praise in heaven and peace on earth.
After visiting the Bethlehem site commemorating the announcement of the Nativity, the plainness of the shepherds in that story seems more real. Both this town and the people living there still are somehow Other than the people in Jerusalem a ways away. This song is a great Wesley text that I've tried to connect with a new simple, but profound melody.]]>;)
As I've been working through this abolitionist hymnal, there are competing themes of struggle against the monsters both within and without regarding the issue of slavery. This song hits a bit more on the internal side - asking for the Spirit of Freedom to rise up and fight off the sins in our own lives that lead to enslavement of others. Let me know what you think about the tune, especially on the "group sing-ability" front.
Lyrics/Chords for "Spirit.." at the CTG lyric archive.
Carl
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Deep as Kitch-iti-kipiHere's another song for the Annie's News collection. Thought I'd put it up today because I dropped Anna off at the airport this morning for a week long medical school service trip to the Dominican Republic.
Wrote this for our one year anniversary and then realized that it was something of an anti-love song. But not really, just an anti-melodramadic-love song.
And in case John Cusack is listening/reading, got nothin' but love for you man.
Carl
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Here's some schmoopy for ya! I had a great time on a recent trip to Israel/Palestine and it was my wife Anna that made it all possible. But seriously, if you have a weak constitution for other people's love songs then Do NOT listen to this song.
Mostly the lyrics were all inspired by that little tiny picture of the plane that they show on trans-Atlantic flights. Why won't you move any faster Tiny Little Plane On The Screen!?!? Glad I had something to keep my mind busy.
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The text of "...Better Day" rings of hope in the midst of struggle. Some place names have been modified to reflect the current state of trafficking in persons.
I particularly resonated with the line in the song: "we are stolen." It reminded me of the overwhelming awareness that I'm sure cripples people in those situations. What is it like - the moment where a person starts to believe that they actually are an object that can be owned, sold, stolen?
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This song contains once of the best phrases that I encountered regarding the work of the modern day abolitionist community - "We'll lay the monster low, my friends. We'll lay the monster low." When reflecting on the horror of the sex trade I think "monster" as a description is apt.
While one of the more militant songs in the list, I think it is sufficiently checked by the Christian understanding of soldiers and militarism. Our fight, for example, will be fought not with violence but with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
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When thinking about modern day human trafficking we have to remember that just as in the African slave trade in earlier centuries, there may be whole families in bondage for generations. David Batstone documents this in the Not For Sale chapter on slave labor in Asia.
This song is a prayer for mothers and families trapped together and reminds hearers that even out of terrible situations can beautiful things arise.
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