A Blessing to Walk Around In Daily Devotional

Word
Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18–19

Music

In the original German, As Morning Gilds the Skies begins “Beim frühen Morgenlicht” or “With the early morning light” but translator Edward Caswall saw something more poetic than simply morning light: he saw morning light covering the earth with a paper-thin sheet of gold. The word “gild” conjures the gold foil covering ancient Egyptian tombs, and Klimt’s “golden phase” and the gold halos hovering behind portraits of the saints. We’ve seen a gilded sky, sunrise bearing unmistakable light, as if to praise God for ushering in another unspent day.

Of course, this is a prelude by the Adult Bell Choir, and therefore has no text to accompany the sound of sunrise-praise, but you can sense that gilded sky, nonetheless, as you hear them ring their bells.

Blessing
May we see winter’s gilded sunrise, O God, and sing praise alongside her. Amen.

Oct 18: As Morning Gilds the Skies (Adult Bell Choir prelude)

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!

To Thee, my God above,
I cry with glowing love,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The fairest graces spring
In hearts that ever sing,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

When evil thoughts molest,
With this I shield my breast,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The powers of darkness fear,
When this sweet chant they hear,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

When sleep her balm denies,
My silent spirit sighs,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The night becomes as day,
When from the heart we say,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, while life is mine,
My canticle divine,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this th’ eternal song
Through all the ages long,
May Jesus Christ be praised!