The Prayer

St. Paul - Carnegie-Mellon University Fine Arts Department

…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, 
hymns, and spiritual songs: singing and making melody 
with your heart to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:18b-19 [NASB]

My vocation is in music: as a church music director and a vocal coach.  My avocation is also music.  It is both what I love, and what I do for a living.  As a church music director, my primary responsibility is for the adult choir.  I do lots of other duties, but the adult choir is the bread and butter of my position.  At Beulah UMC, the sanctuary choir is a source of great joy and great music.

Although my choir membership is older in age, they are wonderful musicians who give their all.  What they may occasionally lack in ability is more than made up for in heart and soul.  Yesterday we celebrated the communion service.  On communion Sundays, the choir sings at both services – 8:30am and 11:00am.  Many in the group hate to sing at 8:30am, and often our group is conspicuously smaller at that hour.  Not so yesterday.  All available souls were present and accounted for.  Was it out of loyalty to me?  Loyalty to the musical needs of the 8:30 congregation?  Lovers of early-rising?  None of the above!  It was the music – the anthem that we were singing – that drew them there.

I have always loved the music and the words of The Prayer by Davis Foster and Carole Bayer Sager.  When I discovered it as a choral arrangement by Tom Fettke, beautifully combined with the words of the hymn, Lead Us, Lord, I did not hesitate to buy it.  It did not disappoint!  As they sang yesterday, the music poured forth, moving with higher and greater praise, lifting the congregation as only a great anthem can.  It was a moment of perfection. 

I pray you'll be our eyes,
and watch us where we go
And help us to be wise,
in times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer,
when we lose our way
Lead us to the place,
guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe.
La luce che tu dai
I pray we'll find your light
Nel cuore resterà
And hold it in our hearts
A ricordarci che
When stars go out each night
L'eterna stella sei
Nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede c'è
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we'll be safe
Sognamo un mondo senza più violenza
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace e di fraternità

La forza che ci dia
We ask that life be kind
È il desiderio che
And watch us from above
Ognuno trovi amor
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro a sè
Another soul to love
Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Just like every child

Need to find a place,
guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
E la fede che
Hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salverà

I pray You'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go
And help us to be wise, in times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to the place, guide us with Your grace

To a place where we'll be safe
I pray we'll find Your light and hold it in our hearts
Let this be our prayer when shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place, guide us with Your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
Lead us, Lord, lead us in Your righteousness,

Make Thy way plain for us to see.
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child needs to find a place
Guide us with Your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe