LOL! Next it will turn up here! Posting the Welsh, huh?

Saturday nights the last few weeks have been outstanding.

For the lesson on the Transfiguration, it was all contemporary praise. Commune With Me, Behold What Manner of Love, Isn't He?, and Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. All Maranatha! pieces. I forget now what order they were in.

Lent 1 was Micah 6:8, Beautiful, and White as Snow from Maranatha!, and Chatter With the Angels from Wee Sing, a spiritual to which I added verses.

Lent 2 was our old favorite as a band, that never grows old, and that I always seem to have enough voice for no matter what-- Never Grow Old, to open. After the penitential order, Phos Hilaron, and collect, it was I Went Down to the River to Pray (from Brother Where Art Thou, thank you Dharmabum!). We are having no offertories for Lent-- the offertory for Lent is to watch Hardiman's hands and humility prepare the table with his gracious economy of movement. I played a slow, quiet version of Precious Lord Take My Hand during communion, and then we closed with it, done a bit faster.

For Precious Lord, I had found several short text versions, and wanted enough verses for everyone to learn it who had never heard the melody. Our Saturday night crowd will tackle any piece I throw at them, actually, unlike so many Sunday morning congregations. So each week they may or may not have ever heard or sung what is planned, and they seem to really like the unexpectedness of it. They are always eager to see what songsheets I have laid out on the baby grand, and I sit right next to the piano in its curve, visiting with people as they arrive, and seeing how they react to the songsheets-- I love to see faces light up when they see an old personal favorite that we've never done, or their curiosity about silly stuff from children's hymns, or spirituals they have never heard.

It was especially wonderful this week to hear them take up "I Went Down to the River to Pray" as it went along-- I don't think any of them had ever sung in that way before. I don't think I had either.

Here is the version of Precious Lord, Take My Hand that we did.

PRECIOUS LORD, TAKE MY HAND

I'm your child Lord and I pray
Help me in Your will to stay.
When I stumble, please set my sight on You.
There's a race I must run,
There's a victory to be won,
Every hour, give me power to go through.


When I'm weak and full of fear,
Precious Lord, O linger near,
When I feel like I'm left all alone.
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand Lord, lest I fall,
Precious Lord, take my hand and lead me home.


When my friends don't understand
And they fail to lend a hand,
When my load gets too heavy to bear--
As I go on life's way
I just slip away and pray
And dear Lord, I can always find You there


When my way is growing drear
And the night is drawing near,
When my lifetime is all past and gone...
At that river I will stand
Guide my feet Lord, take my hand
Precious Lord, take my hand and lead me home.

Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, help me stand,
I am tired, Lord! I'm weary and worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on into the light,
Precious Lord, take my hand and lead me home.

Chords were, line by line:
G,C,G
G7, C, C7
C7, G, C, D, D7
D7, G, C, G
G, C
C7, G, D7, G,C,G

~Susan