At church this morning, we sang the hymn, "There's A Wideness In God's Mercy". It's not a hymn that we sing very often, and since I've only been in the Episcopal Church 12 years, and our church musician and choir director tends to vary the music quite a lot, there are many hymns that I'm not familiar with.
As I looked at the words in the hymnal through my bifocals, I misread "wideness" as "wildness", and was brought up short. God, wild! Then, as sometimes happens in church - even during the sermon - my mind drifted off from the subject, or rather the hymn at hand to think that "a wildness in God's mercy" would not be far from the truth.
God dispenses his mercy in a munificent and bounteous manner that could be called wild, tossing it here, there, and everywhere in the manner of the revelers riding on Mardi Gras parade floats tossing out beads and trinkets to the crowds.
"There's a wildness in God's mercy." I think there's the kernel of a hymn there.
I love the image of wild God - the God who drives us out in to the desert places of life and sends angels to minister to us. We sang There's a Wideness too today - now I will never see it the same way. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of CS Lewis (well, it really is the case that I'm not a big fan of those who admire CS Lewis), but this reminds me of the part in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when the children are making plans for Aslan and he reminds them that, "I am not a tame lion."
ReplyDeleteOur God isn't tame or easily contained. There is a wildness in God's mercy. I like your version of the hymn. Solid theology, there.
How do I keep straying into theology? But it's true: God is not tame.
ReplyDeleteSoulfource produced an excellent video regarding homosexuality and the church narrated by Lewis Smedes. He based his thoughts around the hymn "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy." The video is excellent; I think you can view it online at the soulforce website. Lewis Smedes died a few years ago. He was a great man.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is also a wildness to God's mercy, and it cannot be controlled. Unlike that flaming liberal Dennis up there, I am a fan of CS Lewis. :-) Lewis drives that point home several times through the Narnia series. When the children ask Mr. and Mrs. Beaver if Aslan is safe, the beavers are shocked. Of course he's not safe, but he is good.
That is a super misreading. I will hang onto that one... my one wish is that I could get the congregation to sing the St Helena tune by Calvin Hampton, which is far more gentle to my ears than the four-square, more familiar tune.
ReplyDeleteKJ, I'll have a look at that video.
ReplyDeleteCaminante, I'm not familiar with the other version either, but I listened to a bit of it at Amazon, and it is lovlier and gentler.
Sometimes our distractions are the work of the Holy Spirit.
How can we keep from straying into theology, if indeed the wild can be strays? You do your theology better than most, Maman Mimi.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caminante, the Calvin Hampton tune is lovely and moves along with a beautiful grace.
ReplyDeleteThe line "There's a Wildness in God's Mercy" brought to mind #463 and 464 in the 1980 hymnal:
He is the Way.
Follow him thought the Land of Unlikeness;
You will see rare beasts and have unique adventures.
He is the Truth.
Seek him in the Kingdom of Anxiety:
you will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.
He is the Life.
Love him in the World of the Flesh:
and at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.
W.H. Auden
To me that hymn describes the Wildness is God's Mercy
Oh my. What lovely comments.
ReplyDeleteAuden's words do fit the idea of God as wild.
I am often amazed to discover serendipity at the end of my mistakes.
I am still getting over being outted as a flaming liberal by KJ!
ReplyDeleteGrandmère, this is splendid. Indeed, God is wild in the way God dispenses mercy... far wilder than our conservative brothers and sisters are prepared to admit.
ReplyDeletePax, C.
there is another hymn that does this for me too...
ReplyDeletethat touching one about "Gladly, The Cross-eyed Bear"
Cecilia, our God is a wild God.
ReplyDeleteDennis, yes, that cross-eyed bear is heavy. You're spending too much time you-know-where.
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteSorry about the "outing". I just couldn't stop myself.
The "wildness" thought also puts me in mind of the Michael Card song, "Joy in the Journey" which, in part includes the line, "There is a wonder and wildness to life, and freedom for those who obey."
KJ, so the advice is to obey my wildness? Heaven help us all!
ReplyDeleteGrandmère Mimi
Not obeying you, Grandmére! We don't obey YOU! If you keep confusing yourself with God, your minions will have to depose you as pontiff, and wouldn't that make MadPriest gald.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, turning off the comments as if we couldn't handle a little dust up with detractors! Didn't Peace Bang say we were brilliant and witty?
KJ, of course we could have handled them OVER THERE. You see that MP very kindly directed them all over here.
ReplyDeleteDepose me if you must. I never sought the glory.
My beloved Luiz talks about how lovely you are all the time: now I know what he's talking about! This is such a liberating image for me! I like Dennis' comment about not being able to contain or tame God- and yet we are always trying to contain God in our own little boxes. Thank God, God keeps bursting forth and showing us how immense the divine grace is.
ReplyDeletePadreRob, thank you. We do try to fit God, the great I AM, into boxes of the shapes and sizes that we choose, but the great I AM keeps bursting forth to shower us with grace and mercy beyond what we can imagine.
ReplyDelete