32 thoughts on “GOH: Be Still My Soul”

  3. About the only thing that would make this song better would be a bunch of people screaming, waving their arms, throwing things, and running around carrying flags, handkerchiefs, and potted plants.

    1. But really, couldn’t you say the same about anything?

      Especially the potted plant bit.

  5. I actually know this song to different words. The tune, of course, is Jan Sibelius’ “Finlandia.”

    Here are the lyrics as Peter, Paul, and Mary did them:

    This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
    A song of Peace for lands afar and mine.
    This is my home, the country where my heart is;
    Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
    But other hearts in other lands are beating,
    With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

    My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
    And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
    But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
    And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
    Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
    A song of Peace for their land and for mine.

    May Truth and Freedom come to every nation;
    May Peace abound where strife has raged so long;
    That each may seek to love and build together,
    A world united, righting every wrong;
    A world united in its love for freedom,
    Proclaiming Peace together in one song.

  6. That was a soothing balm to my soul. The different chord or two makes for an intriguing change – so slight yet it makes the song even more wistful and gentle.

  7. Thank you for this. It really fits with the Scriptures I read today (as part of the Anglican Daily Prayers).

  8. MInor key just doesn’t do it for me. And were those Native American shots intended to blame the atrocities of western expansion on Christianity? IMO the Great Spirit/Creator of native belief more closely matches Judeo/Christian belief than any other religeon in the world.

    1. That wasn’t my impression. I got more of the sense that God is God over all the nations; the Native American, the African, the Oriental, the old, the young.

        1. Could be so. I was just so touched by the beautiful pictures of the Indian women (I think) but then it went into some pics of Indians in bondage. I think I was as moved by the visuall images as I was by the song.

        2. I was intrigued by the Oriental version of Christ walking on the water (I think that’s what it was).

  9. This has been one of my favorite hymns since high school. I used to play it on the piano all the time after a friend of mine died unexpectedly.

  10. The song and it’s message is diametrically opposed to the frenetic, chaotic, “camp meeting worship” style so desperate to prove it (and it only) has God’s blessing.

    “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth!”

    Thanks, Darrell, for closing the day with a little sanity!

  11. I have to add (and I hope it doesn’t sound stupid): if you think hard about the lyrics, this could be a song of faith for every soul scarred by the IFB experience, encourageing them to quietly trust in a Sovereign King who ordains everything, even pain and humiliation, for His glory and our good.

    I mean, I know in America we haven’t been eaten by lions, murdered, imprisoned, tortured…

    But to have your conscience twisted, manipulated, torn..made to believe what is not sin is and what is sin is not…

    “A man’s spirit will endure sickness,
    but a crushed spirit who can bear?”

    I’m going to try to learn this song on my guitar..tnx again, Darrell.

  12. Just beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

    One of the pastors of my church (I think it was J Piper) said he likes music that is in a minor key to remind us of our hardships in this life with words with a message of our hope in eternity. Or something like that. He said it better. Anyway, it’s a moving combination. This fits the bill.

    1. “to remind us of our hardships in this life with words with a message of our hope in eternity”

      That’s exactly it.

    2. And on the contrasting side, you are not allowed to preform anything in the minor key at Bob Jones in chapel or for Bible Conference because Triplesticks doesn’t like the minor keys “sound.”

  16. “Oriental is a flavor.” Posted by Darrell

    According to my dictionary, “oriental” means “of, relating to, or situated in the Orient”. Also, “of, relating to, or constituting the biogeographic region that includes Asia south and southeast of the Himalayas and the Malay Archipelago west of Wallace’s line.” (Often capitalized)

    So I think that the blogger used the word correctly and that your response was strictly Occidental.

    1. +10!! I was thinking the same thing! Although your use of “Occidental” makes your response much better than mine would have been.

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