Be Still My Soul: Soothing Hymn Meditations
By John Zehring
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About this ebook
“Be Still My Soul: Soothing Hymn Meditations” is designed to provide you with comforting lyrics and meditations from soothing hymns for when you need to be cradled in God’s arms. Each meditation contains the lyrics to the hymn, draws you to find your place of soothing calm, and shares a bit of information about the author or the composer. The book is named after the hymn "Be Still, My Soul", which tells about Jesus “who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.” As you read the book, perhaps as a devotional or as a resource to turn to during times of stress or weariness, may you find it a quick and easy resource to rediscover a soothing calm, comfort, sense of healing, and inner peace that comes by the gift from God.
John Zehring
John Zehring has served United Church of Christ congregations as Senior Pastor in Massachusetts (Andover), Rhode Island (Kingston), and Maine (Augusta) and as an Interim Pastor in Massachusetts (Arlington, Harvard). Prior to parish ministry, he served in higher education, primarily in development and institutional advancement. He worked as a dean of students, director of career planning and placement, adjunct professor of public speaking and as a vice president at a seminary and at a college. He is the author of more than sixty books and is a regular writer for The Christian Citizen, an American Baptist social justice publication. He has taught Public Speaking, Creative Writing, Educational Psychology and Church Administration. John was the founding editor of the publication Seminary Development News, a publication for seminary presidents, vice presidents and trustees (published by the Association of Theological Schools, funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment). He graduated from Eastern University and holds graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, Rider University, and the Earlham School of Religion. He is listed in Marquis' WHO'S WHO IN AMERICA and is a recipient of their Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. John and his wife Donna live in two places, in central Massachusetts and by the sea in Maine.
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Be Still My Soul - John Zehring
Introduction
Meditations
Afterword: Thank You Jean Sibelius
About the Author
Books by John Zehring
INTRODUCTION
"Be still, and know that I am God!
(Psalm 46:10a)
After a tiring day, I was listening to music when a song came on… it was Be Still, My Soul, a solo by a cello player. The quiet soothing music struck me just right and calmed my tired soul as only music can do. I know many hymns and could sing along in my mind. Even without knowing all the lyrics, the hymn relaxed and comforted me, like being led to lie down in green pastures and relax beside still waters. The hymn tells about Jesus "who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears." This book, named after the hymn Be Still, My Soul to the tune Finlandia by Finland’s Jean Sibelius, is designed to provide you with comforting lyrics and meditations from soothing hymns for when you need to be cradled in God’s arms.
God speaks through the Psalmist: Be still, and know that I am God! That sounds passive to the ears of people who are always wanting to do something. But the verb to do
is not called for here. Listen to God whisper to you Be still.
Just BE. Still. And know. You do not always have to do or to act. Let your soul relax in the company and presence of God and meditate upon how God is God, and God is in control. Let God be God.
The author of the tune, Abide with Me, Henry F. Lyte, wrote the hymn which reflects a balance of difficulties and faith in God. It first appeared in America when it was included in Henry Ward Beecher's hymnal titled Plymouth Collection
in 1855, with the notation that this hymn was meant to be read and not sung.
What an interesting notation! It reminds us that while it is often the tune that lifts our spirits up unto God, it is also the words to the lyrics which lead to a sense of comfort and peace. In some ways, Henry Lyte’s notation undergirds this book, for while you may find yourself humming the tune and may not be able to get it out of your mind, it is the lyrics that form the basis of our meditation.
Notes about this book
Scriptures used in this work come from the New Revised Standard Version, unless otherwise noted.
I have attempted to use inclusive language wherever possible in the words I have written, although I have not altered the author’s reference to God as he.
I recognize that the Divine has no gender and for many it may be just as appropriate and accurate to acknowledge God as Mother or Father. Whichever pronoun is used, consider God as a loving parent.
All hymns and their lyrics come from the public domain.
Some of this work is adapted from other books or eBooks I have written, which can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or other book sellers.
Now, as you read through Be Still My Soul: Soothing Hymn Meditations, perhaps as a daily devotional or as a resource to turn to during times of stress or weariness, may you find it a quick and easy resource to rediscover a soothing calm, comfort, sense of healing and inner peace – not just an emotional peace, but the peace that comes by the gift from God.
John Zehring
Meditations
Be Still My Soul:
Soothing Hymn Meditations
The Hymns
Be Still, My Soul: The Lord is on Thy Side
Fairest Lord Jesus
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Peace Like a River (It is Well with My Soul)
Abide with Me
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind,
Lord of All Hopefulness
Are Ye Able
Spirit of The Living God,
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Eternal Father, Strong to Save,
I Need Thee Every Hour,
My Faith Looks Up to Thee
Near to The Heart of God
O God, Our Help in Ages Past,
O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me,
Amazing Grace
This is my Father's World
Jesus Loves Me
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Nearer, My God, to Thee,
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
All Creatures of Our God and King
How Great Thou Art
Savior, Like A Shepherd Lead Us
Be Still, My Soul: The Lord is on Thy Side
Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to thy God to order and provide;
in ev'ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice, who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the veil of tears,
then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
from His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hast'ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
This hymn, which inspired the title to this book, affirms that you are not alone: God is on your side. This may be one of the most soothing hymns in the hymnal.
Be still my soul. Your soul is the most important part of who you are. The words remind of the beloved Psalm 23: He restoreth my soul are four of the most important words in the bible and in your life. Consider the role your sole plays in the total makeup of you. You have many dimensions: you have a physical nature, a social nature, an emotional nature, an intellectual nature and many others, but you also possess a spiritual nature. If your spirit is crushed and broken, it does not matter how great the other pieces and parts of you are functioning. On the other hand, if your spirit is strong and healthy, you can endure or adapt to anything – no matter what you might be missing in other parts of your life.
You have witnessed news stories about people who have suffered from every kind of handicap or loss and yet they still display a positive attitude about life. It is more than just enduring. When your soul is restored you can thrive. When your spirit is in balance, you embrace life abundantly, as Jesus called it. You experience life that is life indeed, as Paul called it. Is not that the kind of life you desire? When that kind of life is absent, the soul needs strengthening.
Is not your spiritual nature the most important part of all that defines you as a person? Paul wrote about how we have an INNER NATURE and an OUTER NATURE. No matter what happens to the outer nature, the inner nature is renewed every day. In his second letter to the Corinthians (chapter four), he called the inner nature our treasure in earthen vessels.
Look at all the bad things that could happen to the outer nature even while the inner nature stays good: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…"
Paul then explains the chemistry of how this happens: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day.
That may be one of the most hopeful sentences in the bible: no matter what happens to you on the outside, your inner nature is being renewed by God every day. The Psalmist put