Tuesday, February 27, 2024  

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Today's Hymn
“Dear Lord and Father of Mankind”

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.

by John Greenleaf Whittier
Hymn 169, Glory to God
verse 4

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Reflection

Of course a Presbyterian hymn would put the highest esteem on lives being “ordered.” Are we not one of the most regulated, rule-based, systematized denominations? At Fourth Church, I’ve been relieved to see a reasonable sense of humor about Presbyterianism and many of our traditions. At first read I balked at the idea that “ordered lives” were the key to true peace. I needed to roll my eyes a bit.

Too often in my life, in church life, “order” has been pressure to please someone else, adhere to authority expectations, and comply. “Order” has often meant coercion. I’m not comfortable with “quietness” as an ideal in the first line either — the amount of times I’ve been told to be quiet, withhold my opinion, and stop trying to speak, are many.

But I still want what this hymn is yearning for. I want the beauty of God’s peace! Our world is war-torn and polluted. Our country and city are full of discord. My relationships, my thoughts, and my emotions are full of chaos. Striving? Stress? Strain? Check, check, check.

Maybe I could just relax and just see this hymn as a plea for God to heal the world. Heal our lives. Or I could try to see “order” in a different way.

Perhaps I could see order as rhythm. If I’m going to “confess the beauty of thy peace,” I can see that as a call to speak, not be quiet. Rhythm doesn’t have to be obeying orders but can be a structure from which we can make choices. Predictable patterns that move, can change, still carry me through time. Rhythm can call and respond. Rhythm can comfort. Rhythm can cue me to sing and give me pause to rest. I like “order” as “rhythm.”

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Prayer
God, I’m not ready to die yet, so hear my cry. I want to live, but I’m a mess. Help me find your rhythm and live in your peace. Amen.

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Written by Kat Evans, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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