“You have put gladness in my heart . . .”—Psalm 4:7
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SONG: “In My Heart There Rings a Melody” | Words and music by Elton Menno Roth, 1924 | Arranged for and performed on violin by Jaime Jorge, on Rock of Ages: Simply Classic Hymns, Volume 3 (2010)
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Embedded in my heart is a melody.
I hear it now and again, faintly.
It disturbs my quest for power with hints of grace.
It haunts my dreams of control with intimations of selflessness.
It stays my hand lifted in anger
And softens my chest tight with rage.
It whispers to me of justice,
And sings to me of compassion.
It is the song of God and I shall sing it yet.
But not alone.
We each bear the song
And someday we will sing it together in harmony.
On that day the mountains of discord will melt before us;
Idols of ego, tribe, and boundary will shatter,
And together we will sing the world awake.—Rami M. Shapiro
This poem, “Psalm 97,” is from Accidental Grace: Poetry, Prayers, and Psalms, copyright © 2015 by Rami M. Shapiro. Used by permission of Paraclete Press.
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To view all the Revised Common Lectionary scripture readings for the Third Sunday of Easter, cycle B, click here.
Art & Theology 