Scripture References:
st. 1 = Phil. 2:5
st. 3 = Col. 3:15
st. 5 = Heb. 12:1-2
In the first four stanzas of this "catalog" hymn the believer asks, "May the mind of Christ," the "word of God," the "peace of God," and the "love of Jesus" live in my heart throughout each day, in "all I do and say." Stanza 5 invokes the race-running imagery of Hebrews 12:1-2. The Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee omitted the final stanza for publication in the Psalter Hymnal and changed stanza 5 to the first person plural ("we/us") to provide a corporate finale. The song was first published in the London children's hymnbook Golden Bells (1925) and has gained popularity in recent hymnals.
This text is attributed to Kate Barclay Wilkinson (b. England, 1859; d. Kensington, England, 1928). She wrote this text in 1912 in six stanzas, inspired by Philippians 2:5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (KJV). Little is known about Wilkinson's life: a member of the Church of England, she was involved in a ministry to girls in London and a participant in the Keswick Convention Movement. She was married to Frederick Barclay Wilkinson.
Liturgical Use:
Dismissal at close of worship; immediately following the sermon. Change the "me/my" of stanzas 1 through 4 to "you/your" for use as a sung blessing on a wedding couple, on new members of the church, for sending out missionaries, for ordination of church officers, and so on.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1987
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