songs we love.

This song is a fantastic re-envisioning of the well-loved hymn Take My Life and Let it Be, written by Frances Havergal in 1874.  It uses the same text as Havergal’s hymn and includes a new refrain: “Here am I, all of me.  Take my life, it’s all for thee”.  I think that refrain sums up so simply and elegantly the message behind the rest of the text.  Havergal used her hymn quite often in her own personal devotions and in doing so decided on more than one occasion that she wasn’t giving enough of herself to God and so made some changes to the way she was living her life*.  We can use reminders like this all the time and so this song can be effective in nearly any season of the church calendar, but I think it is especially appropriate in the time after Epiphany, as we explore different ways to respond to God’s call.

The refrain isn’t very difficult to learn, but singing it a lot will get people on board and really comfortable with it.  Using it as gathering music at the beginning of service or even just informally teaching the refrain before a service begins is a great way to get it into people’s heads so that they’re ready to sing it when it comes up in the service.

As for the verses, if this is going to be more of a praise band / choir piece, they can work well for soloists.  Even if your congregation isn’t much of a singing congregation, don’t be too intimidated by the verses and the prospect of teaching them to your church.  They look more complicated written out than they really are.  Like anything else, it just takes good leadership.  Don’t sell your church short by not even trying to teach them to them.  I think that it’s totally teachable.  While you’re brainstorming ways to teach the congregation, think of ways to use the song elsewhere in the service.  I mentioned before using it as gathering music or prelude.  It could be simplified to piano or guitar and a flute or something on the melody as offering music.  Really you just want people to be exposed to it so that when they hear it for the first time, they recognize it and don’t feel too intimidated by it.

Take My Life works really well with just a guitar leading it, but can easily be filled in with other instruments.  Piano could make a nice addition, as well as other stringed instruments.  There could even be some soft drumming either by a kit or by a hand drum.  Use the gifts and talents available to you to make it unique to your group.

*Robert J. Morgan has a neat book called Then Sings My Soul, in which he tells the stories of how 150 of the world’s great hymns came to be written.  He writes about Havergal’s hymn on page 191 of that book.

Where to find it:

-          ccli.com (#4162843)

-          praisecharts.com

-          worshiptogether.com

Notable recordings:

-          Chris Tomlin – Top 5: Passion Band – EP

Hear it now:

Download on iTunes