I’ve been exploring some of the very modern worship songs as an old guy 😀. But now, I’ve decided to alternate between very modern hymns, old hymns, and in-between hymns, namely the worship songs from the 60s to the 90s that feature in hymnbooks such as Mission Praise. Today it’s the turn of the old hymns.
Today’s song is Breath on Me Breath of God from 1878.
Edwin Hatch, the Anglican theologian, historian, and Oxford scholar who wrote it, originally wrote it as a personal prayer. I’m pleased that it became public and that it was turned into a hymn.
I think of the breath of God as the atmosphere of heaven coming down to earth. Some months before I committed my life to Christ, way back in 1980, I read an article about how breathing helps to reduce stress. I used it to help me to sleep at night. Then, during my first meeting at an evangelical church, I had this thought. When I breath, I’ll try to think in terms of breathing in the atmosphere of heaven. And when I exhale, I’ll think of removing all that is bad in me. That isn’t precisely like the analogy in today’s hymn, but it’s not too dissimilar. It’s all about God’s will being done on earth, as it is in heaven.
1 Breathe on me, breath of God:
fill me with life anew,
that I may love as you have loved
and do as you would do.
2 Breathe on me, breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until my will is one with yours
to do and to endure.
3 Breathe on me, breath of God;
fulfil my heart's desire,
until this earthly part of me
glows with your heavenly fire.
4 Breathe on me, breath of God;
so shall I never die,
but live with you the perfect life
of your eternity.
I don’t think of relaxation exercises in religious terms, but I don’t see why I need to utterly empty my mind when I relax. I certainly wouldn’t want to distract myself from being calm by dwelling on pressures of church life, theological controversies and so on 😀. But this is a lovely short, simple, and gentle hymn – one that’s worth memorizing. And of course, the goal isn’t just to relax but to glow with heavenly fire.
Here are some other versions of the hymn – and the story behind it:
Hibernia Gospel 