Mark Katrick faith column: Two morning hymns to start your day off as God intended
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been an early riser. These days, more often than not, I’m up at least an hour before sunrise.
No matter the time of year, at that time of day, everything feels all fresh and new. Any words or images that God has delivered during the night are most accessible in the morning.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best time to type columns, sermons and prayers, write and reflect in my prayer journal or catch up on my reading.
On those rare occasions when I’m not feeling quite awake before church, there are a couple of hymns that have the same body and soul-stirring effect. One of these is “When Morning Gilds the Skies,” “a translation of an 18th-century German hymn of praise by an unknown author.” On faithmusicconnection.com, Larry Frazier writes, “Edward Caswall first translated the twenty-eight German stanzas into English in 1849. Robert Bridges also translated and paraphrased the hymn in 1899.” Frazier adds that “It is particularly suited for morning worship.”
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The first verse opens our internal drapes and Venetian blinds as we sing:
“When morning gilds the skies/ My heart awakening cries/ May Jesus Christ be praised!/ Alike at work and prayer/ To Jesus I repair/ May Jesus Christ be praised!”
Singing or saying these lyrics cause me to imagine the glitter of gold that mixes in with the oranges, reds, pinks, violets and blues of dawn. I’ve often greeted the new day from the front porch or a back deck. From there I’d take an artist’s brush and repaint these pastel shades in my imagination. It makes for a colorful connection between Christ, my Savior and Center and me.
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The other of these hymns is “Morning Has Broken.” It is, “a popular and well-known Christian hymn first published in 1931.” Godtube.com has it that, “the words by Eleanor Farjeon were “inspired by the village of Alfriston in East Sussex, then set to a traditional Scottish Gaelic tune known as ‘Bunessan.’”
The first verse causes us to think about harbingers of spring, like when the first birds begin to sing:
“Morning has broken, like the first morning/ Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird/ Praise for the singing/ Praise for the morning/ Praise for them springing fresh from the world.”
I like to put on Cat Stevens’s arrangement and turn up the volume. It was recorded in 1971 and charted as high as No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (wikipedia.org). I’ve set a retirement goal to try and recapture some of my skills on the piano by playing Stevens’ awesome instrumental introduction.
What are your favorite hymns and songs with which to greet the brand new day? (“It’s a Beautiful Morning” by The Rascals is another of mine.) Whether you play them on your radio, CD player or computer, music is a spiritually energizing and renewing way to awaken your hearts, and stir your souls.
Mark Katrick is a pastor and spiritual guide.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Mark Katrick faith column: Two morning hymns to start your day
