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St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Highland, Maryland
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DRUDGERY DIVINE 

Teach Me, My God and King* 

George Herbert (1593–1632)

Music by George Bayley (d. 2017)
 

Teach me, my God and King

In all things Thee to see;

And what I do in anything

To do it as for thee! To do it as for thee!

 

All may of Thee partake;

Nothing can be so mean

But with this tincture, “for thy sake,”

Cannot grow bright and clean. Cannot grow bright and clean.

 

A servant with this clause

Makes drudgery divine:

Who sweeps a room, as for Thy sake,

Makes that and the action fine. Makes that and the action fine.

 

This is the famous stone

That turneth all to gold;

For that which God doth touch and own

Cannot for less be told. Cannot for less be told.
 

This hymn is sung as an anthem yearly by the choir. Our version combines old words with new music and channels the old “science” of alchemy (familiar to Harry Potter readers) to reveal the transforming power of God. The speaker/singer prays to be taught to see God in all things, so that any ‘thing’ the speaker does will be done as for God. 

In the second stanza, the speaker testifies that God offers His love and transforming power to all, no matter how “mean” or degraded in this world, so as, as each takes part, each is transformed to wholeness, “bright and clean.” There’s a sweet, deft, irony that the “magic” words are so simple to say: “for thy/your sake.”

The third stanza cites a humble, daily, dusty task anyone can do of sweeping a room as something “fine,” or exceptional, when done in prayer.

What a comfort the final stanza assures us of! Owning God and being touched and “owned” by God replaces the long sought philosopher’s/sorcerer’s stone, thought to turn all to “gold,” for the value of those whom God “doth”(does) touch and own is true worth (“cannot for less be told”). 

Sweet, mysterious, and profound. A blessing to sing and to hear, especially this Lent.

—Linda Jeffries-Summers

*A piano recording of the hymn can be found here. 

40 Days Through the Gospels
Reading for March 2:
Mark 3-4
 
Notes:
  • These daily assignments (generally 2 chapters per day) will take you through the entirety of the four Gospels in sequential order during the season of Lent with two exceptions:
    • The Passion narratives will be read in Holy Week.
    • The Resurrection narratives will be read in the four days following Easter..
  • When you get to the website with the readings, we strongly recommend that you keep the "Headings" set to "on".  It makes the reading a little easier.  Click the gear icon above the Scripture passage select your preferred page options.
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