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 May the Mind of Christ My Saviour from 1937.
May the mind of Christ my Saviour
live in me from day to day,
by his love and power controlling
all I do and say.
May the word of God enrich me
with his truth, from hour to hour,
so that all may see I triumph
only through his power.
May the peace of God my Father
in my life for ever reign,
that I may be calm to comfort
those in grief and pain.
May the love of Jesus fill me
as the waters fill the sea;
him exalting, self abasing –
this is victory.
May his beauty rest upon me
as I seek to make him known;
so that all may look to Jesus,
seeing him alone.
May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus,
as I onward go.
I read that the hymn was initially written back in 1913 and published in 1937. It’s closely associated with the Keswick convention, a popular evangelical movement that emphasisd practical holiness, daily surrender, and Christ living through the believer. But the hymn was widely popular outside that particular movement. We used to sing it in most churches that I attended throughout my life. I don’t remember singing it when I was a Roman Catholic, but I don’t suppose that Roman Catholics would object to any of the lyrics. And I did hear other Protestant hymns sung in my Roman Catholic church.
“mind of Christ” just features in the first verse of the hymn. I think of the following New Testament verses, which emphasize following the example of Jesus and being united with Christ:
Philippians 2:5
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Colossians 3:1
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Here are some other versions of today’s hymn:
Hibernia Gospel 