When Morning Gilds the Skies

This morning, our worship service opened with "When Morning Gilds the Skies."  Each Sunday, before the service begins, I scan the worship bulletin, opening the hymnal to the first hymn, writing the title of the sermon and the scriptures in my sermon notebook, and getting an idea of the flow of the service.  When one of my favorite hymns is in the bulletin, it gives me something to look forward to; when there's a hymn printed, it's usually a familiar tune with new lyrics that better follow the theme of the service than the original lyrics, but sometimes it's something completely unfamiliar to me, and I can sing (or whistle) through it ahead of time so I know what's coming.  On occasion, though, my response is, "Oh, great."  There are some songs I just can't stand, for whatever reason.  Sometimes it's because the words are meaningless or confusing to me.  Sometimes it's because the melody is practically unsingable.  Other times, it's because I have a negative association with the song.

"When Morning Gilds the Skies" is one such hymn in the third category.  I heard it as special music as a child, and, at least to my young ears, it was terrible.  I remember the singer screeching, but looking at the hymnal today, the song isn't all that high, so either I misremembered or the singer pitched up the song a few steps.  Also, I'm sure I didn't understand the lyrics--what do "gilds" and "to Jesus I repair" mean?  I'm not sure I understand the latter even today.  Whatever I heard or think I heard, I've closed my mind to this song ever since.

So this morning, when I saw it in the worship bulletin, I decided to give it another shot.  I read through the lyrics:

    When morning gilds the skies, my heart awaking cries:
    may Jesus Christ be praised!
    Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair: 
    may Jesus Christ be praised!

    The night becomes as day when from the heart we say,
    May Jesus Christ be praised!
    The powers of darkness fear when this sweet song they hear:
    may Jesus Christ be praised!
    
    Let all the earth around ring joyous with the sound:
    may Jesus Christ be praised!
    In heaven's eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this:
    may Jesus Christ be praised!
    (Words:  Katholisches Gesangbuch; Music:  Joseph Barnby)

Not too bad.  With every other line being repeated, there's not much to it, but the spirituality of nature always appeals to me, as well as themes of light and darkness.  And I like the musical language of the verses.  The idea that in all things we can offer praise, thereby bringing light into the dark and infusing the world with music (as above, so below) is something that resonates with me.  OK, so there's a place for this in the hymnal.  The melody isn't great (it's no "His Eye is on the Sparrow," am I right?), but it doesn't have too wide a range, so it's accessible for the average congregation, which is more than I can say for a lot of what appears in the hymnal (as an alto, I usually notice the range first).

So, it will probably never be my favorite.  That designation goes to "Wonderful Grace of Jesus," and that will never change.  For hymns with nature or morning themes, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "Morning Has Broken" take the top spots.  And "When in Our Music God is Glorified" has a lot more to say to the musician in me (I love how the melody is at its highest on "Alleluia!").  But I'm reminded that even a song that I don't really prefer can teach me something if I open my mind and heart to it, and seek the meaning I may have missed in my aversion.  

Dear readers, I challenge you to keep an open mind.  Truth is truth, no matter its source, and we all have something to learn, if we have the humility to recognize our need to grow.  You may be surprised with an unexpected gift in an unlikely place.  

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