“From Deep Within a Prison Cell” takes its inspiration for the first scene of the gospel appointed for this Lord’s Day (Matthew 11:2-11). Stanzas one and two recall the interchange between John and Jesus about Jesus’ identity. The third stanza starkly transposes John’s question to the contemporary world. I hope that worshipers would hear in the anguished cry “What difference would this Jesus make \/ within a world so broken?” the spiritual state addressed by the Letter of James this weekend (5:7-10). Stanzas four and five raft an honest yet modest act of faith.<\/p>\n
I assigned this 87.87.D hymn text to Arthur Sullivan’s CONSTANCE, but it could also be sung to another hymn tune of the same metrical pattern. It is copyrighted by The Jan Michael Joncas Trust and published by Oregon Catholic Press in Within Our Hearts Be Born. The Michael Joncas Hymnary: Advent and Christmas.<\/em><\/p>\n From deep within a prison cell The answer Jesus gave to John John’s question haunts our questing hearts, Though blinded minds refuse God’s light For ev’ry act of suff’ring love “From Deep Within a Prison Cell” takes its inspiration for the first scene of the gospel appointed for this Lord’s Day (Matthew 11:2-11). Stanzas one and two recall the interchange between John and Jesus about Jesus’ identity. The third stanza starkly transposes John’s question to the contemporary world. I hope that worshipers would hear in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[3064,3065],"class_list":["post-35098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music-hymns","tag-advent-third-sunday","tag-year-a"],"yoast_head":"\n
\na prophet prayed and pondered
\nGod’s high command, his destiny,
\nthe pathways he had wandered,
\nuntil his thoughts to Jesus turned
\nand on his meaning hovered:
\n“Are you the One who is to come
\nor should we seek another?”<\/p>\n
\nevokes his kingdom’s blessings:
\n“The blind find sight, the deaf gain sound,
\nand lepers, cleansed, caressing;
\nthe lame leap up, the dead are raised,
\nthe poor proclaimed as brothers —
\nam I the One who is to come
\nor should you seek another?”<\/p>\n
\ndown centuries still spoken:
\nWhat diff’rence does this Jesus make
\nwithin a world so broken?
\nWith greed and hate and violence
\nso easy to discover
\nis he the One who is to come
\nor should we seek another?<\/p>\n
\nit shines on through the darkness.
\nThough deafened hearts resist God’s word
\nit sounds in holy starkness.
\nAnd when we act in faithful hope
\nGod’s future to uncover
\nwe serve the One who is to come;
\nwe do not seek another.<\/p>\n
\nreveals our God in Jesus,
\nwho donned our death that we might live,
\nwho rescues us and frees us.
\nSo help us, help our unbelief,
\nyou, unrelenting Lover:
\nyou are the One who is to come.
\nHow could we seek another?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"