Thank You, Father, for a productive day. Headway was made for Sunday, and we were able to take care of an important appointment. We then had the opportunity to do some grocery shopping. Thank You for Your watchcare over us.
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Today as I transitioned through preparations for this coming Sunday’s service, I came across a hymn, O Young and Fearless Prophet, that we haven’t sung recently. I’m speaking on what we can glean from the life of Joshua and was searching for hymns that included the word “courage”. Courage is in this hymn but the overall message it communicates didn’t quite gel.
But in verifying that, I read through a couple of stanzas and was brought up short. This hymn spoke to me, though it was penned at the beginning of the Great Depression here in the United States.
I discovered a very informative article written a few years back by C. Michael Hawn on the United Methodist Church’s Discipleship Ministries website. He stated that the author, S. Ralph Harlow, set a tone of service and sacrifice in the opening stanza, seeing the ministry of Christ as a “summons to serve humanity.” This summons is countercultural, meaning that our choices are unlikely to be popular. Furthermore, the summons to follow Christ’s example will take “humble courage.”
The prophetic language of this hymn is in line with Harlow’s theology and activist social philosophy.
The hymn has been included in (United) Methodist hymnals since 1935, yet it was not without controversy even then. Stanza four reflects the economic excess that led to the Great Depression. Harlow calls us to “protest against a greed for wealth, while others starve and hunger and plead for work and health.” The message of this stanza rings as true in the twenty-first century as it rang then.
I found it quite interesting that a minister affiliated with the members of the 1935 and 1966 hymnal committees pointed out that they did not include this stanza because, as one member stated, “the church is not ready to sing that yet.” *
It’s in our current hymnal (1989) but the fifth stanza is still not included.
This has been a bit more of a history lesson, but I would encourage you to thoughtfully read through the hymn’s text and see what the Lord might show you.
Jesus said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do…” John 14:12a AMP
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- O young and fearless Prophet
of ancient Galilee,
Thy life is still a summons
to serve humanity;
to make our thoughts and actions
less prone to please the crowd,
to stand with humble courage
for truth with hearts uncowed. - We marvel at the purpose
that held Thee to Thy course
while ever on the hilltop
before Thee loomed the cross;
Thy steadfast face set forward
where love and duty shone,
while we betray so quickly
and leave Thee there alone. - O help us stand unswerving
against war’s bloody way,
where hate and lust and falsehood
hold back Christ’s holy sway;
forbid false love of country
that blinds us to His call,
who lifts above the nations
the unity of all. - Stir up in us a protest
against our greed for wealth,
while others starve and hunger
and plead for work and health;
where homes with little children
cry out for lack of bread,
who live their years sore burdened
beneath a gloomy dread. - Create in us the splendor
that dawns when hearts are kind,
that knows not race nor station
as boundaries of the mind;
that learns to value beauty,
in heart, or brain, or soul,
and longs to bind God’s children
into one perfect whole. - O young and fearless Prophet,
we need Thy presence here,
amid our pride and glory
to see Thy face appear;
once more to hear Thy challenge
above our noisy day,
again to lead us forward
along God’s holy way.
- O young and fearless Prophet
*History of Hymns: “O Young and Fearless Prophet” (<<click to read the article)
July 6th, 2022, Wed, 8:57 pm
