No More Shadows

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a hymn that had meant a great deal to me.  I was delighted to receive more than the usual responses as various people wrote about how the same hymn had also meant much to them. Others wrote about old hymns and new songs that brought blessing into their lives.  Such was the response that it seemed to me that there might be a series about hymns.  Certainly, I have a number that have meant much to me over the years.  But the one I will write about here is one that I composed at a moment of extraordinary inspiration (they do not come that often!).

The Mission Team was working in the east End of London.  It was an extraordinary location for a team of rural evangelists.  There was a friendly link with the curate, the Rev’d Felix Dias Abeysinghe, whose daughter was at Bible college with one of the team.  But the Vicar of St Mark’s, Dalston was also keen that the mission programme should reach into the parish and not pull in people from other parts of the city.  Parish missions was our strength, and we had a very special time over those days.

I cannot remember much about the accommodation other than the small cloakroom in the church tower where I had to wash and shave each day.  My back was towards the only window, which meant that, since there was no electric light on the facing wall, I shaved each day in shadow.  That is until one particular morning.  That day the sun was especially bright.  As its rays hit the frosted glass of the window, the light was so dispersed around the room that the whole of it was bathed in brilliant light.  There was not one shadow.

Almost immediately, words began to form in my head.  Within a matter of minutes the words of the hymn that became known as the Dalston Mission hymn were written.  The first two lines are

When shadows fade before the morning bright,

And faith, at last, gives way to glorious sight.

It is essentially an Advent hymn, looking for that moment when Jesus comes again.  There’s an old Sankey hymn written by Fanny Crosby with similar thoughts that goes, “On that bright and golden morning, when the Son of Man shall come, And the radiance of His glory we shall see, When from ev’ry clime and nation He shall call His people home, What a gath’ring of the ransomed that will be!”.  Another hymn about the second coming is “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound…”.  The second verse goes, “On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, and the glory of His resurrection share; When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, and the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.”.

In our life on earth there are many things that cast shadows including the loss of a loved one, times of chronic illness, the loss of friendships, hurtful and abusive words and actions.  But just as the shadows in that cloakroom vanished before the scattered brightness of the morning sun in Dalston, so it will be when we see Jesus.

Here are the words that came to me that morning:

When shadows fade before the morning bright;

And faith, at last, gives way to glorious sight;

And earth’s embrace no longer holds me tight,

I shall see Jesus, I shall see Jesus

Shall sad remorse begin to fill my mind?

Or, do you think, like Peter I will find

Tears of regret are stopped by words so kind?

When I see Jesus, when I see Jesus.

While myriad voices with new rapture sing,

And cause the heavens with their praise to ring;

And there with them my grateful thanks I’ll bring

To praise my Jesus; to praise my Jesus.

I wonder what my heart will find to say;

I think ‘twill all be praise; no prayer to pray!

I shall be satisfied when on that day

I see my Jesus, I see my Jesus!

Copyright ©Barry Osborne 1974

I do sometimes wonder about the many times I have let the Lord down.  It has caused me to wonder whether a sense of shame might cloud that moment when I see Jesus.  However, the gracious way in which the risen Lord reacted to Peter by the lake (see John 21), has given me hope.  Incidentally, if you would like to sing this hymn, it goes very well to Sine Nomine, which we usually sing to “For all the saints who from their labour rest…”

As a new Christian in my teens, I used to attend Advent Testimony Preparation Meetings which focused on biblical prophecy concerning the second coming.  Of course, there are various views on what will happen and in which order.  I have a very special friend, called Alfred Lavender, who was a colleague in my early mission years.  On rather particular Christian quizzed him once as to which school of interpretation he inclined to, whether he was a pre-millenialist. post-millenialist or an amillennialist. He wittily retorted that he subscribed to the Peter School of Prophetic Interpretation.  His bemused inquisitor asked what that meant, to which Alfred replied, “I’ll wait until its fulfilment and declare this is what was prophesied”!  As Peter did on the Day of Pentecost.

While I am far less certain, these days, of the order of events when Jesus will come again (and please do not try to enlighten me), I miss the sense of anticipation that fired us up in those Advent Testimony Preparation Meetings.  Advent is a season when we need to be reminded of our call to be Christians living ready in the expectation of that coming which will take most people by surprise. I conclude with some lines from one of those meetings.  “Are you ready? Ready for the trump and shout of voice?  Will his coming make you tremble, or cause you to rejoice? Are you walking with him daily, making him your care?  Do you live so close to heaven, that a breath could waft you there?”

From the Diary

You may be aware that not long ago, Doreen, my wife, suffered a fall and had to go to hospital for 24 hours.  Since coming home I have taken on the role of carer, and now (temporarily) plan work around my caring duties.  Please give thanks for the help given and offered from local Christian friends.  Please pray that she will get regular physiotherapy.

I am afraid that these circumstances mean that Christmas letters and cards have not yet been written, and may not get written.

Planning 2017 is a priority.  There are a host of meetings and on-line seminars to be scheduled.  Please pray for wisdom.

Much of what I do has a team-ministry dimension, and right now I am dependent upon my colleagues more than ever.  Give thanks as various good women and men step up to the mark, for the things that my current restrictions make difficult.

I hope to get another Praise & Prayer News written before Christmas.  But, just in case, I pray that you will have a very blessed Christmas as we celebrate the greatest gift of all time.

Barry

11/12/2016