Lord...Be There...We Pray

Sometimes an 'earworm' can be really frustrating. Last month, having been in charge of the Tiddlers Group 3 times in a row, my head was buzzing with "I'm a Dingle-Dangle Scarecrow" This past couple of weeks, for a number of different reasons, my earworm has been an old hymn. I have constantly been singing Lord of all hopefulness - always popular in our school assemblies.

This hymn was written by Jan Struther [that was with pen-name of Joyce Torrens Anstruther, later Mrs Maxtone-Graham then Mrs Placzek] She was neighbour to Percy Dearmer, Canon of Westminster Abbey, who was charged with preparing a new edition of the C of E hymnbook "Songs of Praise". He approached her about writing some hymns for this. She produced 'When a Knight won his Spurs', 'Daisies are our Silver', and this one. Dearmer was delighted by the success of LOAH, announcing in 1933 that he was "lately returned from a service of university students, who have speedily made it their favourite". The hymn was very characteristic of its time - forward-looking, and non-doctrinal. And it was very daring to replace "Thy" with "You". The agnostic author of the words had minimal interest in the Church and the Christian faith, but she chose the old Irish melody ‘Slane’, which fits beautifully. I love the way the hymn takes us through the day, with a prayer for God's presence and help whatever we are doing.
[The pictures are the bouquet I received from school on Tuesday evening, flowers Bob had following his eye surgery, and the gardens at Kingston Lacey when I visited the other week with Christine and Margaret]

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, 

Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy, 

Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray, 

Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, 

At the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith, 

Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe, 

Be there at our labours and give us, we pray, 

Your strength in our hearts, Lord, 

At the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace, 

Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace. 

Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray, 

Your love in our hearts, Lord, 

At the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, 

Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm, 

Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray, 

Your peace in our hearts, Lord, 

At the end of the day.