Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 3-153 (Devotional)

WHAT WOULD YOU SING? – THE RESULT

Recap: A lady collapsed by the roadside, seriously ill. A young lady stopped and called for help, then held and comforted her, prayed with her, and also sang to her. In contributing this true story, Lachlan Dunjey asked, ‘What would you have sung?’

Thankyou for your responses, and to Lachlan who collated them and now reports:

Great songs! Thankyou!

There were 108 songs selected by 85 responders as at Friday 22 August 2003. Way out ‘in front’ were:

25 Jesus loves me this I know (including 2 who selected Jesus loves me plus the variation Jesus loves you plus 2 others who selected Jesus loves you)

22 Amazing Grace

then came

7 What a friend we have in Jesus

4 The 23rd Psalm

then 2 each of

Abide with me Because He lives God will take care of you Great is Thy Faithfulness How great Thou art Nearer my God to Thee The Lord’s Prayer Turn your eyes upon Jesus

then 1 of each

All my loving (Beatles!) Be not afraid Be Thou my vision Blessed Assurance Does Jesus care when my heart is pained He looked beyond my faults Here I am waiting (Eagle’s Wings) How deep the Father’s love for us I am the bread of life I could only imagine I love You, Lord If I could help somebody It is well with my soul Jesus holy and anointed One Jesus Saves Just as I am Lead kindly Light My faith looks up to Thee My Lord loves me No not one (There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus) Nothing but the blood of Jesus O how I love Jesus Precious Lord, take my hand Something beautiful Sweep over my soul The Love of God is greater far The old rugged cross There is a green hill There is a Redeemer When Peace like a river Why me Lord You’ll never walk alone

Two responders said just Psalms and A lullaby.

I consider it my privilege to list my choices – all ten of them, but I might only sing one or two verses of each (faulty memory – but I am now going to try to learn them again).

Jesus loves me, this I know (my first and immediate ‘gut’ response)

The Millennium Prayer (The Lord’s Prayer to Auld Lang Syne – The Source 932)

High King of Heaven – last verse of Be Thou my Vision followed by first verse I cannot tell why He whom angels worship (to Londonderry Air)

When I survey (to O Waly Waly – The Water is Wide – The Source 570)

How great Thou art

Tell me the old, old story

The King of Love my shepherd is

Jesus, all for Jesus; all I am and have and ever hope to be (The Source 825)

No one, but You Lord, can satisfy the longing in my heart (The Source 373)

Choices 2-5 have folk tunes with ‘soothing’ melodies. I think the fact that almost all of the reader selections were of ‘older’ songs says more about the recipient of the song rather than the age of the contributor but I have also included two meaningful recent songs that have gentle melodies.

Question (response not required!): How well have you learnt your song off by heart and what others will you now also commit to memory?

May God bless you as you do that and use you for His glory. And may His songs ever thrill you.

– Lachlan <>

BUT THIS I KNOW, the skies will thrill with rapture, And myriad, myriad, human voices sing, And earth to heaven, and heaven to earth, will answer, At last the Saviour, Saviour of the world, is King!