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After the Tsunami --
a song of lamentation and hope |
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O God, Our God
(A Song of Lamentation and Hope)
Hymn text by Manley Olson
[1-24-05]
O God, our God, where are you in our sorrow?
When oceans roar, and waves engulf the land.
As thousands die, beneath a wall of water,
Is this, O God, a judgment from your hand?
We pray to you, please help us in our struggle,
We long to know, please help us understand.
Through tear-filled eyes we view the pain and suffering,
And ponder why these thousands had to die.
Did you ,O God, use this to send a message?
Or was it fate, while you sit idly by?
We have your Word that you are always with us,
Yet in our pain our foremost thought is why?
So in our grief, we act with great compassion,
In helping those who struggle to survive.
With food and clothes, with medicine and shelter,
Do what we can to rebuild shattered lives.
Still in our hearts the question seeks an answer,
Will you, O God, respond to these our cries?
Remembering what Jesus Christ has taught us,
That when we suf-fer you share in our pain.
And in the midst of chaos and destruction,
Our comfort comes when we pray in your name.
So help us strug-gle with our doubt and questions,
To find our faith, and hope in you again.
When in the sea ,the mountains shake and tremble,
We need not fear, though waters roar and foam.
Your answer is, "I am your strength and refuge,
When morning dawns, my power will be shown.
Be still and know that I am God forever,
Your help and hope, in any trials you've known."
Manley Olson ©2005 Finlandia 11 10 11 10 11 10
A note from the author:
O God, Our God (A Song of Lamentation and Hope) was
written for benefit concerts which will be held at North Como Presbyterian
Church in Roseville, MN February 12 & 13.
If you're in the Twin Cities area, you're invited to
join in this special event, which will provide aid for the victims of
the South Asia disaster. For more information contact Jennifer Anderson at
North Como Presbyterian Church. Phone 651-488-5581, or go to
the North Como website.
Click here for the concert flier, in PDF format.
The first three stanzas voice some of the questions being
raised in the aftermath of the disaster and especially the question "Where
was God?" The final two are my attempts to answer the question, drawing on
Psalm 46.
The tune, Finlandia, is by Jean Sibelius. It has be used
for several hymns including "This Is My Song" and "Be Still, My Soul." The
tune is found in The Hymnal (1933) and The Hymnbook (1935)
and in The United Methodist Hymnal ( 1989). I have set the words to
the 11 10 11 10 11 10 meter found in the latter.
| Permission Statement: The words
of this hymn may be reprinted without special permission in a worship
service bulletin for one-time use only, provided that the following
statement is included:
Words Copyright 2005, Manley Olson. Used by
Permission
For other use please request permission in writing or e-mail from
Manley Olson
a_molson@unidial.com
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We posted another hymn
text earlier, by an Australian writer: "O God, that Great Tsunami" |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
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send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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