Here is a new hymn text which grew out of a Trinitarian reflection on John 1.1-18. I have a feeling that a couple of the verses are still in process of development, so any suggestions would be grateful received. In the meanwhile, if you wish to field test it in worship then you are welcome to reproduce it provided you acknowledge authorship and source (crammedwithheaven.org).
All is Love
Before the time when time began, before the cosmos came to be, God lived in love and love was all and love o’erflowed the One in Three. The Father spoke and glory shone, creating both the day and night. The Word of God was life for all, eternal, undivided light. Though sin has done its spoiling work, with life corrupted, love ignored, our Christ has come, redeeming all: a life laid down, a love outpoured. Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart, repair my life, renew my will, that I may know and share your love and Christ may all my living fill. I worship and adore you, Lord, I praise you, Father, Spirit, Son; for you are mine and I am yours, eternal Love, beloved One. Christopher J Ellis Tunes: Tallis’s Canon Come Together (Jimmy Owens)
Lovely Rev. Ellis. I like the first two stanzas best esp. ‘
“eternal, undivided light”. I hoped the next stanza would build the light metaphor but by using its opposite to reflect sin perhaps as in “darkling work”? I suspect stanza three might actually be two stanzas — one on the dark side (to steal from Star Wars) and another one to contrast with the redemptive light of Christ’s love — a more complete contrast.
Something about the last two lines bothers me too but it’s a vague feeling: “For all is love and your are mine”. For some reason I feel that line should be not “your are mine” but reversed to “I am yours.”
Sorry just musing here.
Maybe I am just confused here but if God is three: God, son, spirit; then it follows that the speaker of the poem must embrace all three within himself, one’s own image and likeness in, within God, son and spirit and be willing to lose oneself? Immerse oneself? To that love thus, not “your are mine” but I am yours. As always thanks, a lovely song/poem that makes me contemplate divinity though I’m not familiar with the tunes.
I revise the comment above. I can’t get the pronouns right. Maybe not either “You are mine” nor “I am yours” but maybe “We are one”?
Thank you Val for your thoughtful and constructive comments. I think I will leave v3 as it is (for the moment) – the light theme isn’t continued in the later verses and I wanted to introduce the theme of redemption in relation to life and love. However, I have incorporated your query about pronouns in the last verse and recast the last two lines. So thank you – I’ll update the blog accordingly 🙂