Be Still

1. Be still my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief of pain.
Leave to they God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still my, soul: they best, they heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

The hymn for this Saturday is "Be Still My Soul."  It was written in 1752 by Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel.  As you can probably tell by the name the hymn was originally in German, titled "Stille meine Wille, dein Jesus hilft seigen."  According to this website, of the 29 hymns she wrote, this is the only one that is translated into English and remains in common use.  Maybe I should dust off my German and try the rest?  It would be an interesting project.

2. Be still, my soul: they God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
They hope, the confidence let nothing  shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know \
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt  below.

The tune is "Finlandia Hymn."  This hymn is a section of a patriotic poem written by Jean Sibelius, who later decided the hymn would be a good stand alone piece.  The tune is still a national song of Finland, though the actual anthem is Maamme.  It's okay though, Wales uses the tune for A Prayer for Wales, which is their national anthem.  The tune is used for at least six Christian hymns, so it may pop-up again before year's end.

3. Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His Heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and they fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

By this point, I've listened to this hymn five times today. That may be a little excessive, but the more I listen to it the more I like it.  We live in a world that always wants to amp things up.  Our news is sensational (not in the good sense), our commercials are constant, and everything has to be awesome or bacon or both.  It even infiltrates our worship.  I remember worshiping in church where I was pretty sure the guitar solo was something I heard before. A friend pointed out it was from "Have A Cigar" by Pink Floyd.  Worship is really hard when thinking about  how "Wish You Were Here" compares to "Dark Side of the Moon." Worship doesn't need to be turned up using the golden age of rock and roll; doing so obscures who Christ is and what He's done for us.

4. Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

One thing "Be still my Soul" does well is build each verse.  I need comfort from the Lord.  When I look elsewhere, I find it sorely lacking. I love that Katharina begins the hymn with reminding the singer that the Lord is on their side.  That is why we can be still.  That is why we need not be anxious.  Here in verse four, I really enjoy the contrast of being still because the hour is hastening.  We are moving closer and closer to the Lord each passing day.  We are progressing to the moment in which "disappointment, grief, and fear are gone. Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored."  I really look forward to that day.

5. Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy works and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well-pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

My late grandmother had Scripture for every occasion (It's a good practice).  One of her favorites was "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).  The verse continues, "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  This hymn captures that verse well.  The fifth verse calls for the earth to exalt the Lord.  This is why we should be still. We know that the Lord will reign eternally and bring peace.  Now this heavenly reign may cause us to kneel in tears or jump with joy or dance in celebration, but to our souls it brings us peace and stills the turbulence that life brings to our hearts. Our brokenness will be corrected in eternal glory.  Praise the Lord.