Speak, O Lord, Thy Servant Heareth

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Speak, O Lord, Thy servant heareth, To Thy word I now give heed

Author: Anna Sophia von Hessen-Darmstadt ; Translator: George Taylor Rygh
Tune: WERDE MUNTER
Published in 12 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

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Representative Text

1 Speak, O Lord, Your servant listens,
Let Your Word to me come near;
Newborn life and spirit give me,
Let each promise still my fear.
Death's dread pow'r, its inward strife,
Wars against Your Word of life;
Fill me, Lord, with love's strong fervor
That I cling to You forever!

2 Oh, what blessing to be near You
And to listen to Your voice;
Let me ever love and hear You,
Let Your Word be now my choice!
Many hardened sinners, Lord,
Flee in terror at Your Word;
But to all who feel sin's burden
You give words of peace and pardon.

3 Lord, Your words are waters living
When my thirsting spirit pleads.
Lord, Your words are bread life-giving;
On Your words my spirit feeds.
Lord, Your words will be my light
through death's cold and dreary night;
Yes, they are my sword prevailing
And my cup of joy unfailing!

4 As I pray, dear Jesus, hear me;
Let Your words in me take root.
May Your Spirit e'er be near me
That I bear abundant fruit.
May I daily sing Your praise,
From my heart glad anthems raise,
Till my highest praise is given
In the endless joy of heaven.

Source: Lutheran Service Book #589

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Author: Anna Sophia von Hessen-Darmstadt

Anna Sophia, daughter of the Landgrave Georg II. of Hesse-Darmstadt, was born at Marburg, Dec. 17, 1638. Carefully educated, especially in Holy Scripture and the Christian Fathers, she was in 1657 elected Pröbstin of the Lutheran Fürsten-Tochter-Stift at Quedlinburg, where she became Abbess 1680, and died Dec, 13, 1683 (Koch, iii. 549-554; Stromberger's preface, &c). Her hymns, contemplations on the union of the soul with Christ, in the spirit of the Canticles, mostly appeared in her devotional work:— Der Treue Seelen-Freund Christus Jesus mit nach denklichen Sinn-Gemählden, anmuthigen Lehr-Gedichten und neuen geistreichen Gesangen, abgedruckt und vorgestellet, Jena, 1658. The only one translation into English is Wohl dent der Jesum… Go to person page >

Translator: George Taylor Rygh

(no biographical information available about George Taylor Rygh.) Go to person page >

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First Line:	Speak, O Lord, Thy servant heareth, To Thy word I now give heed
Title:	Speak, O Lord, Thy Servant Heareth
German Title:	Rede, liebster Jesu, rede
Author:	Anna Sophia von Hessen-Darmstadt
Translator:	George Taylor Rygh
Meter:	8.7.8.7.7.7.8.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Tune

WERDE MUNTER

JESU JOY is a form of the tune WERDE MUNTER, MEIN GEMUETE by Johann Schop (b. Hamburg [?], Germany, c. 1595; d. Hamburg, 1667). In 1614 Schop was appointed court musician in the Hofkapelle at Wolfenbüttel. A virtuoso violinist, he also played the lute, cornetto, and trombone. He became a musician f…

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