Here comes another Hymn, this one comes with a tie to St. Cloud Minnesota, a place in which I enjoy visiting on occasion (the Benton County Fair being one of them!)!
Title: Come to
Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty
Tune: Beach
Spring
Meter: 8.7.8.7.8.7.8.7
Composer:
Benjamin Franklin White (September 20th, 1800-December 5th,
1879)
Author: Delores
Dufner (B. 1939)
Sister
Delores Dufner, a member of the Benedictine Sisters, is one of the best known
hymn composers in the world today. She has had hymns published in over twenty
different hymnals, including hymnals printed in Australia, Canada, and England.
She first performed this hymn in 1982, paired with a tune composed by Jay F.
Hunstiger, in St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud Minnesota. The hymn was
performed as a communion song at the annual Chrism Mass, when the Bishop with
bless the oils used in the sacraments such as Baptism, Confirmation,
Ordination, and in the anointing of the sick. The hymn was first published with
Hunstiger’s tune in the 1989 publication of The
Order of Christian Funerals: Funeral Mass (Collegeville). “Come to Me, All
Pilgrims Thirsty,” also appeared in the 1997 Schiller Park hymnal We Celebrate, where the revised version
of the first three stanza’s were paired with the tune “Holy Manna (see hymns “God
Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens,” and “All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly.”)”
which is also seen in People’s Mass Book
(Schiller Park, 2003). The Hymn has been seen in England under the title “Jesus,
Ever-Flowing Fountain,” With a setting by Australian composer, Rosalie
Bonighton, which was published in several different hymnals, including the
Chinese Christian Literature Council Bilingual Hymns of Universal Praise (2006).
One
advantage of researching a hymn composed by someone who is still living is that
we get to hear the reasons the composer has for writing the hymn.
“This text was
inspired primarily by the lengthy dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan
woman at the well (John 4). I have always loved this account of the assertive
woman who dared to challenge Jesus. When she questioned him about his request for
a drink, he responded ‘If you only knew what God is offering…’ Jesus’ words to
her might well be addressed to each of us: if we really understood the good
that God wants to do for us, we would come to Christ gladly and freely to find
life, refreshment, and forgiveness. These gifts are offered in a special way at
the Eucharistic table.
I drew on two other scripture texts
for this hymn. The first is John 7:37-39, in which Jesus cries out, ‘let anyone
who is thirsty come to me and let the one who believes in me drink.’ The second
is Matthew 11:28-30, in which Jesus invites the weary and heavily burdened to
come to him for rest, ‘for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
Because the words of the stanzas
are Jesus’ and the words of the refrain are our response, I suggest that they
be sung by different groups, e.g., stanzas by choir and refrain by
congregation, or stanzas by women and refrain by men.” (Westermeyer, p 644), (See
bibliography #1).
The tune “Beach Spring” is
attributed to Benjamin Franklin White, who with the help of Elisha J. King,
published The Sacred Harp
(Philadelphia, 1844), where it was sung with the text of “Come, ye sinners,
poor and wretched.” Named after the Beach Spring Baptist Church in Harris
County, Georgia, the church was given its name because of its close proximity
to “two beech trees at a spring…(Westermeyer, p. 269).” Although the original
spelling of the name should be “Beech,” White’s misspelling “Beach,” has stuck
with the hymn throughout the ages. White was mostly a self-taught singing
school teacher from South Carolina. Eventually he moved to Hamilton in Harris
County, Georgia, where he worked at many different vocations, including a stint
in the Georgia Militia. Eventually White married Thurza Golightly, and together
the two had 14 children (the same number of children that White’s parents had).
At some point along the timeline of
Benjamin Franklin White’s history, a rumor was started that he worked closely
with William Walker (who was his brother-in-law) to publish Southern Harmonies, but this rumor was
probably not true. The two books were wildly
popular in the south, but both contained the same southern white spirituals
which were popular in the more rural areas. In the 20th century, the
tunes from The Sacred Harp, and Southern Harmonies entered into more
denominational hymnals and inspired many different composers to arrange the
melodies in various ways. The Sacred Harp
is one of the most used books in the four-shape notation, and has gone through
numerous editions that have been published throughout the years, and even to
the present days.
The Text:
V1. “Come to me, all pilgrims thirsty;
Drink the water I will
give.
If you knew what gift
I offer,
You would come to me
and live.”
Refrain. Jesus, Ever flowing fountain,
Give us water from
your well.
In the gracious gift
you offer
There is joy no
tongue can tell.
V2. “Come to me, all trav’lers
weary;
Come that I may give
you rest.
Drink the cup of life
I offer;
At this table be my
guest.”
Refrain.
V3. “Come to me, believers
burdened;
Find refreshment in
this place.
Come, receive the
gift I offer,
Turn to me and seek
my face.”
Refrain.
V4. “Come to me, repentant sinners;
Leave behind your
guilt and shame.
Come and know divine
compassion,
Turn to me, I call
your name.”
Refrain.
My Take on the Hymn:
This
hymn is a wonderful reminder that Christ does not care what you have done in
the past, but rather what you will do from this point forward. Jesus says to us
in John 4, “If you only knew what God is offering…” which speaks volumes to the
world today. If people only knew the love that Christ has for us, and the love
that is waiting for us, the ecstatic crowds of people running to Christ would
be incredible. Christ is calling us, and
he is calling us today. In stanza 1, Christ invites us all to the fountain of
life, and he also tells us that if we but only open our eyes to the gift that
he is giving us, we will turn and run to him. Stanza 2 really references Matthew
11: 28-30, by telling us that if we are weary, we should come to Christ and
leave all of our struggles with Him. Being a college student- with all of the
stress that accompanies mid-terms, juries, friends, time management, as well as
everything else that goes on in life- Christ wants to take it for us, he is
there to give us a break. Stanza 3 reminds us that it isn’t easy being a
follower if Christ. As followers of Christ, we find ourselves going against the
grain of society, and doing what we think is right, not always what is popular,
and there lies the challenge. Whatever those challenges may be, God is there to
help you through them and to refresh you every time you partake in the
receiving of communion (or the Eucharist for those who are Catholic). Stanza 4
is my favorite, this is the verse that tells us to turn away from ourselves and
turn to Christ. We have all sinned, and we all have shame to bare, but through
Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we no longer need to carry the burden of
shame! Christ calls us to be with Him, because he loves us no matter the life
we have lived up to the day we turn to Him. There is no better time than right
now to turn away from the life you are leading now, and to follow Christ!
The Hymn:
Unfortunately I was not able to find music for this hymn. At
a later point I will have an update with the music, as soon as I can get over
to the Library to use the scanner! But, in the meantime, here is the youtube
video.
Bibliography:
Westermeyer,
Paul. "Hymn No. 777." Hymnal Companion to
Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2010. 269+.
Print.
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