Many of you have more than likely heard the song “Here I Am, Lord.” If you worship with us, you definitely heard it as our choir sang it this past Sunday! The video above is from that service. As far as hymns go, it’s a relatively new creation, being written in 1979. Since its publication in 1981, the piece soared in popularity and is often seen within the top ten when Christians are surveyed about their favorite hymns.
The writing of this song has an interesting story behind it, namely that it was written in three days. Dan Schutte, the composer of the song, had a friend knocking his door on a Wednesday to ask him to write a song for a diaconate ordination Mass that was happening that Saturday. Not only was there a tight deadline, but it was also requested to have references to the Word of God, the light of Christ and the bread and wine.
In a 2017 interview with America Magazine, Schutte shared that, when given all of these requirements, he thought, “Gosh, I don’t know what to do with that.”
However, he managed to find ways to incorporate all of them within each of the verses. Verse one ends with the like “Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?” Verse two has “I will speak my word to them. Whom shall I send?” And the final verse has a much longer reference to the bread and wine with “Finest bread I will provide, till their hearts be satisfied, I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?”
So not only did he hit all the marks of the request, but he was able to transform them into calls to action. Something that speaks to me about this piece is that it alternates between the voice of God in the verses and the response from those he calls in the refrain. By doing this he is setting up what God calls us to – spreading the light of Christ, spreading his Word, and sharing the bread and wine of Christ – and then gives us, the singers and believers to respond to that call.
Another aspect of this piece that I think helps make it such a favorite is the very human self-doubt shown in the refrain. Originally, Schutte had the lyrics of the refrain be “Here I am, Lord; here I stand, Lord.” But after reflecting on the message of the song and sharing it with some fellow songwriters, he realized that in the stories he was using as a basis for the song (prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah and Samuel) all expressed their own self-doubt in some way. And so, the lyrics were changed to “Here I am, Lord, is it I, Lord?”
It's a very human thing to think we’re not good enough. Surely God couldn’t be calling me, what can I do? Isaiah even shouted it in Isaiah 6.5, saying “I am not pure, and I live among people who are not pure,” right before the lines referenced in this song, “Here I am. Send me!” Because God does call us, as he did Isaiah and any number of people in the Bible. They call us in any number of ways to do what we can in our time and place.
Even Schutte didn’t think he was being called to write an impactful and lasting hymn when he was writing this song. He wasn’t even sure the song was good. He recounted that he couldn’t figure out why people seemed to relate to the song, but he has a file of letters he has received, praising the song.
One of his favorites of these letters is one coming from an army captain serving in Afghanistan. He said: “We stand here in this awful place, where we are asked to serve our country but fear for our own lives, and we sing ‘Here I Am, Lord’.” The troops would gather in a nearby field for Mass where they would sing the hymn.
As the famous saying goes, ‘Where words fail, music speaks,’ and words can often fail when trying to encompass the concept of God and what They mean to us. As such, we at the First United Church of Christ think that music is an integral part of a church service. Not a side performance, but something to be used to proclaim the message and deepen our understanding of the Word. It is one of the ways that God calls us, through performing or listening.
Looking back now, it’s no wonder the hymn speaks to so many people. The Spirit moved in those lyrics and notes to create something special that we can look to for remembrance that God calls all of us in any number of ways to share his Word, Christ’s light, and the bread and wine of his table.
Lyrics
I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart.
I, the Lord, of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them; they turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone; give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them. Whom shall I send?
I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame,
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save!
Finest bread I will provide, till their hearts be satisfied,
I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart.
Here I am.
Sources
Comments