This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
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- the story,
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Respect and Integrity
Respect and Integrity
Christ has died to show God's mercy,
therefore we must be transformed
by renewal of our thinking
as our hearts are strangely warmed.
We are now Christ's earthly body
different gifts to each he gave:
therefore we must work together
so that he may seek and save.
Each belongs to all the others:
exercising ministry,
serving all our sisters, brothers,
sharing hospitality.
Let no debt remain outstanding,
save the royal debt of love.
Let us grow in understanding,
into Christ who lives above.
Who are we to judge the weaker
for the difference of their view?
To their master they must answer,
not to me and not to you.
When a dispute of conviction
breaks upon our fellowship,
Call to mind Christ's crucifixion,
borne to heal relationships.
Those who count a day as sacred
fast in honour of the Lord.
Those who feast with joy and worship
also honour Christ's own word.
Therefore let us keep from causing
anyone to fall from grace.
Eyes on Jesus, let's keep praising
till the day we see his face.
We, the strong, should bear the failings
of the weak for whom Christ died.
Each of us should please our neighbour,
just as Christ was crucified.
So may God who gave the scriptures
so that we might walk Christ's ways,
give us unity, endurance,
hope and glory all our days.
Words copyright © John Hartley 2008.
Based on Romans 12:1-6 & 13:8, Ephesians 4:15, and Romans 14:1-15:6.
Story behind the song
I wrote these words after a message from a colleague on the "Christians on the Internet" e-mail music discussion list, requesting suggestions for hymns on the theme of 'respect for others' and 'integrity'. The only song which sprung to mind was "Brother, let me be your servant" (also known as "Brother, sister, let me serve you"), as it respects the other's right to return the service rather than simply be an object of charity, and it expresses the fact that we need each other. But it doesn't go very far along the particular theme of respecting someone else's integrity, and I began to wonder about putting the message of Romans 14, about bearing with the "weaker brother" (which may have been an ironic way of pointing out our natural judgementalism) into song.
This hymn was the result. It would go to any 8.7.8.7.D tune, but I suppose I wrote it with "Abbot's Leigh" in mind (which can be found at: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/w/t/lwtt4pls.htm - as the music is still in copyright it is not reproduced here). I'm very grateful to another colleague on the list for pointing out the non-gender-inclusive language in the original version of verse 4, which I have now corrected.
John Hartley.
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Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.