HYMN FOR PENTECOST 10 Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me
German: Jesu, Heiland, führe du Norwegian: Jesus, frelser, lods du mig Spanish: Cristo, mi piloto sé Text: Edward Hopper (1816-1888). Tune: John Gould (1821-1875) 1 Jesus, Savior, pilot me, Over life's tempestuous sea: Unknown waves before me roll, Hiding rocks and treach'rous shoal; Chart and compass come from Thee– Jesus, Savior, pilot me! 2 As a mother stills her child, Thou canst hush the ocean wild; Boist'rous waves obey Thy will When Thou say'st to them, "Be still!" Wondrous Sov'reign of the sea, Jesus, Savior, pilot me! 3 When at last I near the shore, And the fearful breakers roar 'Twixt me and the peaceful rest– Then, while leaning on Thy breast, May I hear Thee say to me, "Fear not– I will pilot thee!" REFLECTION When we go to worship in a typical church, we sit in what is called the nave, meaning that the place where we sit is like a ship. We are in the middle of a voyage to the harbor which is heaven, our final destination. The Christian life has been thought of as a voyage on a ship almost since the beginning. Jesus as the pilot, the mast as a cross, the anchor as Christ in whom we are anchored. Many churches from the Mediterranean to the Nordic countries have a ship hanging at the entrance to the nave pointing to the altar, the end of the journey. It is one of the oldest symbols for the church—many logos for church organizations use the ship as a sign. The lesson for this Sunday, featuring the perilous journey on the boat in which Jesus stills the storm, is the place from which we get that image. The First Epistle of Peter 3:20 also elaborates on that image of the ark on the water (baptism) which saved the eight in Noah’s family. The Christian life as journey such as the Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is a long walk through the many dangers and joys on the way. Augustine says that not only is Christ the country to which we are going, but also the way there. The image of the journey as being in a storm tossed boat is fiercer and more dangerous than the walk. The wind and waves can create perilous moments in which one cries out for a Savior—a pilot. Today in the turbulent times in which we live the idea of life as a stormy sea, of our being buffeted about by the wind and waves seems more apt as we feel "the fearful breakers roar." Many of us remember when we woke in the night with a nightmare and called to our moms to hold us and comfort us. In her arms we would feel assured and pacified, even if now we know that the promise of a parent to always be there and provide safety for the child cannot be kept, ultimately. Even if it works for the night. However, the cry that the Savior be like the mother who comforts us gives us both the sense of how that promise we heard in our mother’s arms comforted us then, and also now in the arms of our Savior. He can give us eternal calm and peace--and it begins right now! He is here with us now saying Fear not! as he gives us the peace of heaven. How great that calm can be when we know the pilot who gave his all to give us peace. HYMN INFO Born in New York City, Hopper attended Union Theological Seminary and then served the Presbyterian church in Sag Harbor on Long Island, after which he became pastor at the Church of Sea and Land in New York for sailors. His most famous hymn is "All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name." He wrote this hymn some time before 1871, but when he was asked to write a hymn for a seagoing organization, he remembered he had parts of this already written. John Gould was a native of Bangor, Maine. He worked in New York City and Philadelphia, composing music for several books of Gospel songs. LINKS The Mormon Tabernacle Choir https://youtu.be/zVcNIvZjarQ Mahalia Jackson https://youtu.be/Gb-yn859ZUo SE Samonte https://youtu.be/xgtz3V2IGdo Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys/Country Western version https://youtu.be/hSkziVWcnB4 KyleHannah Gilbertson https://youtu.be/1VT-kyKUvUk
