Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19). This is the commandment that our Lord gave us, to preach the gospel everywhere. And this was the call to many men and women through the centuries to preach the good news of salvation. A very famous missionary is this young man who was born in A.D. 373 in a place that now we call Scotland. His father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest, and his name was Patrick. When Patrick was 16 years old, pirates came to his little town and took him to Ireland as slave. There is when he gave his life to the Lord Jesus.

He wrote this as a testimony. “The Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God.”

Patrick eventually escaped and returned home, but his life was not the same, and now he had a love for missions and to preach the gospel in the land where he was a slave, Ireland.

When he was 30 years old, he returned to Ireland with just one book, the Latin Bible. His preaching touched many lives, and the church in Ireland became a reality; even his former captors became Christians. His testimony and influence and his preaching in Ireland were so strong, that he received opposition from the Druids, nevertheless, the gospel was growing. According to tradition, Patrick planted 200 churches and baptized several thousand new converts.

The church in Ireland produced many hymns, poems, sermons, and songs of worship, and in the eighth century, an unknown poet wrote these lyrics.
Rop tú mo baile, a Choimdiu cride:
ní ní nech aile acht Rí secht nime.
Rop tú mo scrútain i l-ló 's i n-aidche;
rop tú ad-chëar im chotlud caidche.

In 1905, Mary Elizabeth Byrne translated the poem, and became the very familiar hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.” Also, Eleanor Hull prepared the version that we know now.

“Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art;
Be Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
Both waking and sleeping, Thy presence my light.
High King of heaven, Thou heaven's bright Sun,
O grant me its joys, after vict'ry is won;
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be Thou my vision, O Ruler of all.”

Please, use this hymn as a prayer, asking the Lord to be your Vision, your Wisdom, your Father, your Breastplate, your Sword for the fight, your Armor, your Shelter, your strong Tower, your King.
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In His service,
Israel