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Our hymn text for today is What A Friend We Have In Jesus; Let us sing it together. Every hymn begins with a story, and “What A Friend We Have in Jesus” is no exception. This story begins in Dublin, Ireland along a lakeside. A young man paces the shore, and looks out in shock and disbelief. He closes his eyes, and opens them again. He can hardly take it all in. A group of men are pulling a woman – his fiancé out of the lake. How could this have happened? They were to be married the next day. What would he do now? How could he go on? The year was 1845 and the young man was Joseph Scriven. He was 25 years old at the time, And soon after, he decided that Dublin held too much sorrow, too many hard memories. He packed up all his belongings, leaving his mother behind, and sailed across the Atlantic to Canada. Joseph settled in Port Hope, Ontario, and sought comfort, consolation and communion with Christ. Even amid his great sorrow, Joseph sought to live according Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount. He lived on the graciousness and hospitality of others, and poured himself ministry. Ten years passed, and in 1855, Joseph received word that his mother was facing a crisis. He wrote her a poem, the poem whose words are those of the hymn we sing today. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! He sent along the poem to his mother, Wanting – praying – for her to know the same connection and communion with Christ as he had experienced. Joseph sent the poem off to his mother, never intending it for public use or reading. Joseph continued to live a simple life, cutting firewood for widows, giving his clothes and his money to the poor, preaching and teaching whenever and wherever he could find others who were open to hearing the word of Christ. Joseph’s friends were surprised to discover he had a poetic gift. Near the end of his life, Joseph got sick and one of his neighbors came for a visit. He came upon a manuscript entitled, “What A Friend We Have in Jesus.” Joseph indicated that he had written it many years ago just to help his mother through a difficult time. Word spread throughout the community, And when another neighbor asked Joseph if it was true he had composed the hymn, He replied, with great humility, “The Lord and I did it between us.” The words of Joseph Scriven – Words we know and love – have been carried around the world with a tune composed by Charles C. Converse. Converse, born over the border in Warren, Massachusetts, was a man of many talents and activities: a lawyer, judge, editor, composer, inventor, even a partner in the Burdett Organ Company. The hymn – the words and tune - were a last minute substitute in the 1875 publication entitled, Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs. The editor, Ira D. Sankey, later remarked, “the last hymn that went into the book became one of the first in favor.” Just as every hymn has a story, So, too, every hymn has a connection to hearts and our lives. When asked to choose their favorite hymns, You - members and friends of this congregation – selected What A Friend We Have in Jesus among your favorites. This was a surprise to me as I prepared for this service; I was fairly confident that Amazing Grace would be the overwhelming winner. But it wasn’t – in fact, there wasn’t any overwhelming favorite, but What a Friend We Have In Jesus was one often selected. This hymn, about the love of Christ that can carry us through the hardest times, was chosen more times than Amazing Grace and most of the other hymns we sing today. I wondered why this was so. Perhaps it’s because many of us know difficult or hard times, moments when we’ve had to give over our grief, our sorrow, our sin, to Jesus and let his presence bring us peace or comfort. Perhaps it’s because we’ve gotten so used to being in control of so much of life - including our spiritual life - that the hymn is a reminder to relinquish control and let Christ guide us. Perhaps it’s because at this very hour, some of us are carrying heavy burdens – financial woes, health care worries, caring for children or parents – Or maybe children and parents, anxious about projects and tests and other schoolwork and activities. The promise of prayer – that Jesus will grant us solace and peace in those moments – calls deeply and powerfully to a place of need in us. Perhaps it’s also because – Even unknowingly – There’s a power in the story behind the words. “The Lord and I did it together,” Joseph Scriven said. Joseph used his gift, shared his gift, humbly and for the service of others – actually, for one other person. With God’s grace, This gift was transformed and continues to be a blessing to countless others across the generations. Friends, What gift do you have to share with each other, To share with the world? What can you and I and the Lord do between us? What new hope and possibility might be created by our humble sharing the love of Christ in word and deed? Sisters and brothers, It is true - it is indeed true - that We DO have a friend in Jesus, Who came as one of us, Who came for each of us – To love, to save, to grant us peace. We DO have a friend in Jesus, A faithful, encouraging friend, Who desires for us to know the love of God in our lives. What a privilege it is to take our burdens and our cares, our joys and our hopes, All our longings and desire to Christ in prayer. Amen. |