A Bar Song - Marnie Pohlmann

 

This evening is the Facebook launch event for Inscribe’s Easter Stories and More anthology. I am excited to have some writing and photos in this book. Will you meet me on the Inscribe Facebook page to celebrate?

I have enjoyed this month’s blogs about Easter. Like the anthology, we see a variety of writing styles, and this month has more poems, songs, and lyrical prayers than are usually posted. Somehow celebrations like Easter make us want to break out in song, don’t they? So to celebrate the launch of our anthology and the upcoming celebration of Easter, I would like to join in.

I am NOT a singer. I am, as the cliché goes, not able to carry a tune in a bucket. I come from a musical family, though, so I learned how to join in, and I continue to use this method to worship God in church. I whisper-sing, and sometimes I even just mouth the words (gasp!) but I know God is hearing the sweet sacrifice of praise even if my neighbour cannot.

I have written songs, though, or at least lyrical words that have been set to music by others. And if I have a tune stuck in my head, I will sometimes re-write the lyrics to that music.

Did you know that early hymn books didn’t have the music included, only the words? That’s because the early musicians and congregants didn’t write new music. They put new words to songs that the populace would already know the tunes for. Many of the favorite hymns were sung to the same tune, with new words, as the songs sung in the pubs by drunken sailors.

See if you know the tune these changed lyrics could be sung to, and if you can, I apologize now for putting that tune in your head for the rest of the day.

                    A Risen Saviour 

What will you do with a risen Saviour?
What will you do with a risen Saviour?
What will you do with a risen Saviour?
Early Easter morning?

He conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Early Easter morning.

Drop the grave clothes and fold the headpiece,
Drop the grave clothes and fold the headpiece,
Drop the grave clothes and fold the headpiece,
Early Easter morning.

He conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Early Easter morning.

The stone rolled away by muscled angels,
The stone rolled away by muscled angels,
The stone rolled away by muscled angels,

Early Easter morning.

He conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Early Easter morning.

Some women came with tears and herbs,
Some women came with tears and herbs,
Some women came with tears and herbs,
Early Easter morning.

He conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Early Easter morning

What have you done with my Lord, my Saviour?
What have you done with my Lord, my Saviour?
What have you done with my Lord, my Saviour?
Early Easter morning.

He conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Early Easter morning

The angels explained that Christ is Risen,
The angels explained that Christ is Risen,
The angels explained that Christ is Risen,
Early Easter morning.

He conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Conquered death and up He rises,
Early Easter morning

OooOoh,
What will you do with a risen Saviour?
What will you do with a risen Saviour?
What will you do with a risen Saviour?
Early this Easter morning?

 While not an Easter song anyone will sing next weekend, the message of this ditty is clear.

Christ conquered death and rose from the grave. Yes, we need to celebrate this but more importantly, what does that mean to us? The theology of believing Jesus literally died on the cross, rose from that death, and remains alive today is a stumbling block for some people. But what an amazing truth it is!

What would our own hope be for life after death if God Incarnate had not defeated death? What hope would we have if Christ had not given us His Spirit, alive and present in our lives today?

The resurrection is a crucial piece of the salvation message, so each of us must ask ourselves,

“What will I do with a risen Saviour?”

Marnie writes from Northern BC and has recently resurrected her blog, Phosphorescent.