When I volunteered to contribute to this season`s Secluded Space I decided to opt for the Hymn slots, as the consideration and selection of hymns forms such a vital part of my weekly preparation for public worship. Tomorrow is the First Sunday of Lent and I could have chosen a well-known traditional Lenten hymn but instead have gone with a contemporary composition which I have often used myself.
Hymnary.org, which is invaluable in finding appropriate lectionary-based hymnody, has no biographical information on the author Ruth Duck, one of whose hymns I am sharing with you today. However, as a writer for 40 years of over 150 hymn texts and countless liturgical resources, her contribution to Christian Worship is significant. Two of her compositions appear in the hymnal of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches in the USA and eight in the Church of Scotland`s Fourth Edition of the Church Hymnary.
Today`s hymn is based on the story of the Temptations in the Wilderness. Hymnary.org says that “although the Temptation of Christ is mentioned in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew 4:1–11/Mark 1:12–13/Luke 4:1–13), this hymn is based on the Lukan version. It is notable that each stanza begins “when,” not “if;” temptation is not an optional feature of the spiritual life.”
When we are tested and wrestle alone,
famished for bread when the world offers stone,
nourish us, God, by your word and your way,
food that sustains us by night and by day.
When in the desert we cry for relief,
pleading for paths marked by certain belief,
lift us to love you beyond sign and test,
trusting your presence, our only true rest.
When we are tempted to barter our souls,
trading the truth for the power to control,
teach us to worship and praise only you,
seeking your will in the work that we do.
When we have struggled and searched through the night,
sorting and sifting the wrong from the right,
Saviour, surround us with circles of care,
angels of healing, of hope, and of prayer.
Ruth Duck b.1947
“In the desert, as we begin to see ourselves as we really are, as God sees us, we are invited to the practices of fasting, prayer, and works of charity. But we can’t merely fast from; we must fast for the good that God has called us to. In six weeks, as we remember our baptism on Easter Sunday, our own union with Christ in his dying and rising, may we also be richer in generosity, more intimate with God, and more open and trusting in the journey of life.” The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.
Ruth herself says, “Sometimes I paraphrase psalms or other scripture passages, to lift out key ideas and images of the text in a way that I believe contemporary people will be able to sing in the spirit of prayer.”
Sing it to yourself to the familiar tune Slane and make it your prayer today.
Alan Kennedy
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