{"id":14301,"date":"2017-05-03T07:50:04","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T11:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=14301"},"modified":"2017-05-03T09:19:24","modified_gmt":"2017-05-03T13:19:24","slug":"wednesday-worship-be-thou-my-vision-rend-collective-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=14301","title":{"rendered":"Wednesday Worship – Be Thou My Vision – Celebrating God with Rend Collective"},"content":{"rendered":"

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[Adapted from the Archives]<\/p>\n

The strongest memories I have of the song Be Thou My Vision<\/em> are connected with worship across North Africa. When our children were growing up, we \u201cattended church\u201d \u2013 expat families, from various Christian denominations, who gathered once or twice a week to worship in English.\u00a0 We sang great hymns, old and contemporary, with guitar accompaniment, and worship leaders with more British accents than American. I remember our little family, strung out along a pew of these little churches. Our stair-step children, with shoulders squared, singing from hymnals in the early years and then with lyrics projected on the stuccoed front walls.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Eurobishop<\/a><\/p>\n

We sang Be Thou My Vision<\/em>, this old Irish hymn, across three countries in Heliopolis Community Church (Cairo), St. George\u2019s (Tunis), and St. John\u2019s (Casablanca). Before our children all launched back into life in the US, we \u201cattended\u201d church less and became a part of house churches. There we still sang Be Thou My Vision, <\/em>still with guitar<\/a>\u2026less with a British accent.<\/p>\n

Now to Rend Collective<\/a>. I heard this group for the first time on my radio a few years back. The song was Second Chance<\/em><\/a>. I jotted down the group\u2019s name and song and would later buy the album<\/a> based on that one song. Have you ever done that?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

When I heard You are My Vision<\/em>, my first thought was how could anyone mess with such a great hymn\u00a0that so truly magnifies God? As I listened, the personal nature of this version drew me in. This old Irish hymn written in the 8th century has been, not-so-much updated but, celebrated by an Irish group of young worshipers. Not celebrating the song\u00a0so much as celebrating the Savior of the song.<\/p>\n

We no longer “attend church” in various African countries. Today we are deep in the life of church, bringing our own stuff to the stuff of many others. All of us collectively love God, albeit imperfectly, of course, and want to express His perfect love in our communities.<\/p>\n

This Sunday during worship at Movement Church <\/a>we sang Be Thou My Vision, <\/em>and I was reminded of its great truths and of other years, in other places, where His truth was being made known.<\/p>\n

Worship<\/a> with me through the lyrics and music of Rend Collective’s\u00a0 You are My Vision<\/em>.<\/p>\n

You are my vision, oh King of mine heart. Nothing else satisfies, only You, Lord. You are my best thought, by day or by night. Waking or sleeping, Your presence, my light.<\/p>\n

You are my wisdom; You are my true word \u2013 I ever with You and You with me, Lord. You\u2019re my great Father and I\u2019m Your true son. You dwell inside me, together we\u2019re one.<\/p>\n

You are my battle shield, sword for the fight. You are my dignity; You\u2019re my delight.<\/strong> You\u2019re my soul\u2019s shelter, and You\u2019re my high tower. Come raise me heavenward, oh, Power of my power.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want riches or a man\u2019s empty praise. You\u2019re my inheritance, now and always. You and You only, the first in my heart \u2013 \u00a0High king of heaven, my treasure You are.<\/p>\n

High king of heaven, when victory\u2019s won, may I reach heaven\u2019s joy, oh, bright heaven\u2019s Son. Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, oh, Ruler of all.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, oh, Ruler of all.<\/p>\n