Suffer the Little Children

Lorna and I spend our summers at our cottage in Prince Edward Island.  We attend the little Anglican church. St. Alban the Martyr in the town closest to us, Souris as well as St. Georges, in Montague which is somewhat further away.  I assist at these churches as there is only a part time priest available for both churches.

Last Sunday, I decided that the hymns would be an all-children’s hymn service – I also provide the music, playing my guitar.  Both churches share a similar condition with many small Anglican churches these days having an absence of children in attendance.  As a result, there has been a lack of the children’s hymns that many of us grew up with in our services.  So, I thought, why not have a service with all the hymns we were familiar with.  Now, with the caveat that I was not raised in the Anglican church – being United Church by birth and upbringing, I chose hymns from our hymn book which I grew up singing and was pretty sure those in attendance would also know. Of course, I had the benefit of my unofficial adviser, my wife Lorna, who is a lifelong Anglican.  Here are the hymns which we sang:

Opening hymn     This is My Father’s World

Gospel Hymn       Jesus Loves Me (this I know)

Offertory Hymn   Can a Little Child Like Me (thank the Father fittingly)

Closing Hymn       When He Cometh (to make up his jewels)

I believe the hymns were well received – our small group sang them with energy and seemed to enjoy them.  St. Augustine is credited with the saying, “he who sings prays twice.”  I believe that is true as music touches a part of ourselves, we often aren’t aware of.  The hymns and other music we heard and sang as children connect with that part on an even deeper level.  They are there waiting to be accessed even though they are often neglected as adults. 

If we look at the theology contained in those hymns there is a lot which would be valuable to guide us as adults.  If we can truly live as if this is not our world to do with as we want and are only stewards of a world which has been created, we would not have the ecological crisis of Global warming.  If we truly understood that Jesus does love us and offers us God’s grace unconditionally, our lives would be better for it.  If we believed that we need to thank God for all God has given us, we would be better people.  We are God’s precious jewels, His loved and His own.

Lorna also noted that many children; s hymns speak of being with God when we die e.g. “when at last I come to die, take me home with thee on high.”  However, it did not fill her with morbid thoughts of death.  She found it rather comforting.  I must admit that I didn’t give that much thought as a child but now that I am much closer to the end than the beginning, I do find the thought quite comforting.

On your journey, I invite you to consider the hymns or other music that have filled your life.  If you were not blessed to have hymns in your life as a child, is there music which blesses you today.