Writing Hymns

Most of my poems are what's called lyric poetry.* Lyric poems are typically short, written in the first person, and deal with specific emotions, concepts, or moments. This is in contrast to, for example, a narrative poem which, as you may guess from the name, tells a story. So, The Gray Havens' song lyrics are typically narrative poems, whereas Ginny Owens' are usually lyric poems.

My own poems are most often born out of a concept I've been thinking about, or a significant time in my spiritual walk.** Sometimes, an idea comes married to a piece of music. I've written a few poems to melodies created by Ginny or Sara Groves or Amy Grant, and every now and then, I get to write words that fit the melody of a beloved hymn. Those are always gifts. Faithfulness, which I've shared on this blog before, was one such poem. Another I wrote shortly after a bit of a personal/professional crisis, which I also blogged about without posting the poem. I am including it now.

This piece was written to the melody of a beautiful hymn I had recently discovered at the time, called The Love of God.


Oh, Gracious God

Oh Lord, my God – my Comforter –
Your yoke is light, and I am free
From all the pressures of this world
I didn’t know I carried.

Your name is love, your word is holy,
So I bow down at your feet.
I find my rest in who you made me,
From who I thought I should be.

Oh, gracious God! I will remember
What you did for me today;
I know my place – I know my role,
And I will trust and obey.

I wandered far in search of something
I didn’t need or even want.
You let me see that I am nothing
So I could listen as I ought.

You led me back into the famine
To the first altar I built
And gave me there what I had longed for,
And swept away all my guilt.

Oh, gracious God! I will remember
What you did for me today;
I know my place – I know my role,
And I will trust and obey.



*Not to be confused with song lyrics, despite the term's origins.

**They also tend to contain allusions to Scripture, which makes me really happy. :)