Ashes
8/11/2007
We rise again from ashes,
from the good we've failed to do.
We rise again from ashes,
to create ourselves anew.
If all our world is ashes,
then must our lives be true,
An offering of ashes,
An offering to You. --> -->
We offer You our failures,
we offer You attempts;
The gifts not fully given,
the dreams not fully dreamt.
Give our stumblings direction,
give our visions wider view,
An offering of ashes,
An offering to You. --> -->
Then rise again from ashes,
let healing come to pain;
Though spring has turned to winter,
and sunshine turned to rain.
The rain we'll use for growing,
and create the world anew,
From an offering of ashes,
An offering to You. --> -->
... Thanks be to the Father,
who made us like Himself.
... Thanks be to His Son,
who saved us by His death.
... Thanks be to the Spirit,
who creates the world anew,
From an offering of ashes,
An offering to You.
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15 comments:
That's is one of my favorite songs to sing at Church. It has good verses and a good message.
It has a terrible message.
What ego to think that we "create ourselves", anew or otherwise.
God creates us.
The song is not saying we literally create ourselves. It's saying that we fall down so far but with the help of God and the offering of Ashes that we can whip away the sins of the past and create ourselves anew.
This is also my favorite song to sing in Church. A great song for the beginning of Lent.
This song moved me to tears in church on Sunday when I heard it for the first time. I take the point about 'creating ourselves' but don't think the whole hymn should be judged by that. Rather ask, what moved the poet? What action was God calling the writer (or us) to, in order to act with God in creation. We accept invitations from the Spirit, or decline. We are responsible for our actions.
This has always been one of my favorites, too. And we do create ourselves. We have been created with free will, and we are given opportunities to better ourselves and the world around us, or to ignore these blessings that are laid out for us. And we will occasionally fail. The important thing is that we get up and learn from this and know how to ask God for help and guidance. And from the ashes of our failures, with help, beautiful things can happen. I always was sad that this song was only sung once a year.
does anyone know where I can find a copy of the music?
who sang this song?
Last night at Ash Wednesday Mass, our Priest doesn't care for the song because 'ashes' are not a proper offering to The Lord.
This is a beautiful hymn for Lent. Where can I get the music?
"Gifts not fully given, dreams not fully dreamt" those are not the kinds of things I'd like to offer to my Lord.
i love this song. im11 and i sing at churh and i totally screwed it up which sucked
oh lighten up people.
I think God wants us to offer both our successes and our failures. I personally want to repress my failures/regrets but I do not think that is the right way to live. So I think God does want us to offer our "gifts not fully given, dreams not fully dreamt". As for you who said you screwed up the song, I did not hear you sing it so I cannot say for myself if you actually screwed it up, but if you did I think God would be happy for you to offer that feeling of failure.
I think God wants us to offer both our successes and our failures. I personally tend to repress my failures/regrets, but I do not think that is how God wants me to live. So I think God does want us to offer our "gifts not fully given, dreams not fully dreamt". As for you who say you screwed up the song, I did not hear you so I cannot say that you actually screwed it up, but if you did, I think God would be happy for you to offer that feeling of failure.
Thank you. I love this song. I wish they could sing it in our church.
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