As Rachel Mourned the Children

As Rachel mourned her children

Author: Mary Nelson Keithahn (1996)
Tune: HEROD'S LEGACY
ONE LICENSE: 81182
Published in 1 hymnal

Representative Text

As Rachel mourned her children
King Herod sent to die,
good people stood there, silent,
and no one questioned why,
why children had to suffer
to save a king his throne,
why people stood by watching,
and let them die alone.

In every town and city
the Herods of our day
ignore the needs of children,
so they can have their way.
Good people still stand silent,
few dare to pay the price;
and mothers still are weeping
at each new sacrifice.

Above their cries of anguish
a child's voice can be heard,
the stable-child of Mary,
God's living, loving Word:
"Your children thirst and hunger.
Now, tell us, tell us why
You let the Herods triumph
And sentence us to die?"

Forgive us, Holy Jesus,
we did not see you there
among the countless children
committed to our care.
Stir us to break our silence
to give your love a voice,
till every weeping mother
has reason to rejoice.


Source: Come Away with Me #11

Author: Mary Nelson Keithahn

Mary Nelson Keithahn, a retired United Church of Christ ordained pastor and church educator, has been a curriculum writer-editor, journalist, and lyricist for musical dramas and anthems. She still works out of her home in Rapid City, South Dakota, as a free-lance writer. In 2016 she published Elfie: Adventures on the Midwest Frontier, a chapter book for children, and Embracing the Light: Reflectioins on God’s Holy Word, a collection of meditations for individual or small group use. Augsburg Fortress also published Sing the Stories of God’s NEW People, the third in a trilogy of Bible story-based collections of songs for young children, written with her longtime colleague, John D. Horman. The two have written over a hundred hymns togethe… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: As Rachel mourned her children
Title: As Rachel Mourned the Children
Author: Mary Nelson Keithahn (1996)
Meter: 7.6.7.6 D
Language: English
Copyright: © 1996, 1997 Abingdon Press

Instances

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Text

Come Away with Me #11

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