Just finished a wedding rehearsal and looking at the order of service I found that once again people have to ruin perfectly good hymns (dare I say 'standards') with their redactions and weirdness.
For instance, Lead us Heavenly Father lead us had the verse:
Saviour, breathe forgiveness o’er us,
All our weakness thou dost know;
Thou didst tread this earth before us,
Thou didst feel its keenest woe;
Self denying, death defying,
Thou to Calvary didst go.
When what should have been written was:
Saviour, breathe forgiveness o’er us,
All our weakness thou dost know;
Thou didst tread this earth before us,
Thou didst feel its keenest woe;
Lone and dreary, faint and weary,
Through the desert thou didst go.
The same occurred when Love divine, all loves excelling was reached for not only did we have an extra verse:
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
But it got better because we weren't interested in receiving grace, instead we went for life instead:
Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.
Still winner of the month goes (equally) to the seven verse version of 'Abide with me' and the eleven verse 'Amazing Grace'.
Why can't people stick to writing new doggerel rather than making it ouf of the older stuff?
Aaaargh!
(rant over - back to other things)
Pax