BE THOU MY VISION

Be-Thou-My-VIsion
Picture of Heather Allington
Heather Allington
Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart!
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, be Thou my true word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father and I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
Be Thou my armor and be Thou my might;
Be my soul’s shelter and Thou my high tower;
Raise Thou me Heavenward, O power of my power!

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise;
Thou my inheritance now and always;
Thou and Thou only the first in my heart;
High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art!

High King of Heaven, Thou Heaven’s bright Sun,
Grant me its joys after victory is won!
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all!

Quite a bit of history surrounds this 8th century hymn! An unknown Irish poet wrote a prayer asking God to be his vision, wisdom and best thought. The seeds for this man’s faith were likely planted by St. Patrick, 5th century missionary to the Druids in Ireland.

Patrick, the son of a deacon and grandson of a Christian priest, was born in 373 A.D. near the Clyde River in what is now Scotland. As a teenager, he was taken by pirates to Ireland as a slave. Somehow, it was there that he recognised his need of Jesus Christ and gave his life to Him. Patrick managed to escape his captors and returned home. Instead of staying comfortably with his family, however, he followed a visionary dream in which he saw an Irishman pleading with him to come and spread the Gospel in Ireland. Although the Druids tried to kill him, Patrick had a very fruitful ministry in which he planted about 200 churches and baptised 100,000 converts. The Irish church produced many poets and hymnwriters over the centuries.

In 1905, Mary Elizabeth Byrne, who was studying in Dublin, Ireland, discovered the anonymous 8th century prayer and translated it into English. Eleanor Hull, a student from England, converted Byrne’s work into a rhythmic poem, which was soon bonded to the Irish folk tune, Slane. Slane was an area of Ireland where St. Patrick is said to have preached the Gospel to the Druids, and thus the hymn’s history was brought full circle. Two very similar alternate versions of the words are found in the S.A. 2015 Song Book.

WORDS: UNKNOWN IRISH, MARY BYRNE AND ELEANOR HULL; TUNE – SLANE: IRISH TRADITIONAL
S.A. SONG BOOK, 2015 EDITION, #573
REFERENCE: MORGAN, ROBERT J., THEN SINGS MY SOUL

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Code of Conduct for all Mission Partners of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda

1. Purpose
To provide mission partners with guidelines regarding their expected behaviour while undertaking work on behalf of TSA. The code of conduct states TSA’s commitment to operating in an ethical and legal manner that aligns with TSA’s mission, vision, values and Orders and Regulations. The code of conduct serves as a foundational standard for other conduct-related operating policies.

2. Basic Principles
All mission partners are expected to behave in ways that are aligned with TSA’s mission and values.

2.1. Mission Statement:
The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.

2.2. Vision Statement
We are an innovative partner, mobilized to share hope wherever there is hardship, building communities that are just and know the love of Jesus.

2.3. Core Values:
Hope: We give hope through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Service: We reach out to support others without discrimination.
Dignity: We respect and value each other, recognizing everyone’s worth.
Stewardship: We responsibly manage the resources entrusted to us.

3. Conduct Expectations
The code of conduct provides guidelines for mission partner conduct. The code of conduct cannot cover every possible situation; mission partners are responsible for considering each issue in the context of TSA’s mission and values, recognizing that individual conduct may be understood as a reflection of TSA’s values, image, integrity and public trust. If a mission partner is unsure of a situation and needs guidance about their conduct or has concerns about the conduct of another person, they should speak with their supervisor or HR/officer personnel representative.

Mission partners will:
3.1. Comply with TSA policies and procedures.
3.2. Follow all applicable laws and at no time participate in, or assist others to participate in, any illegal, criminal or unethical activities.
3.3. Conduct themselves at all times with honesty, integrity and transparency.
3.4. Perform their defined duties to the best of their ability.
3.5. Treat others, including other mission partners, funders, clients and the public, with respect, dignity, fairness and courtesy.
3.6. Promote and support a work environment that is inclusive of all people and respects their unique abilities, strengths and differences.
3.7. Identify actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest and disclose them to their supervisor to help minimize or eliminate the impact of such conflicts, which could influence or appear to influence their judgment and actions. Refer to GV 01.003 Conflict of Interest policy for additional direction and requirements.
3.8. Collect, use and disclose confidential information only in accordance with TSA policy and applicable privacy laws. Ensure all records, documents and communications are accurate and that privacy is maintained as required by GV
01.009 Privacy.
3.9. Conduct all business, service and ministry activities in a responsible manner, consistent with TSA’s values of hope, service, dignity and stewardship.
3.10. Always strive to create and maintain the highest health, safety, wellness and environmental standards in all facilities and work areas.
3.11. Take every reasonable precaution to protect the safety of oneself and others and report accidents (however minor) and near-misses (accidents that almost happened), risky behaviours, and instances where equipment and/or building
deficiencies could compromise the safety of a workplace.
3.12. Use information technology, including internet and email, in a professional and appropriate manner, in accordance with TSA policy (IT 02.001 Computers and Information Technology Acceptable Use).
3.13. Ensure they are fit to work and able to perform assigned duties as required by their job description safely, satisfactorily and in compliance with HR 10.002 Substance Impairment in the Workplace.

TSA expects mission partners will not:
3.14. Act in a discriminatory, harassing or violent way toward others.
3.15. Use their position in order to gain an advantage over or exploit the vulnerability of others.
3.16. Destroy or take for personal use any items belonging to or safeguarded by TSA without prior written approval.
3.17. Solicit (money or goods) from clients, donors, vendors, contractors or any person in a position to benefit from their association with TSA. Mission partners will adhere to the requirements of HR 04.002 Gifts, Speaking Fees, and Testimonials policy.
3.18. Give the appearance that they are speaking on behalf of TSA when not authorized to do so or engage in any activity that would negatively impact TSA’s reputation, brand or public image, including the use of personal social media
accounts.
3.19. Initiate contact with the media or respond to their inquiries, and instead will refer all media inquiries to their supervisor, their public relations representative or TSA’s communications department.
3.20. Use, abuse or misuse paid time, TSA resources or the equipment assigned to them.
3.21. Misuse their authority, abuse power, act irresponsibly, retaliate against someone who reports misconduct or exclude others from workplace events.

4. Officers: Orders and Regulations
In the event of a conflict between the provisions of the code of conduct and Orders and Regulations, the latter shall take precedence.

5. Violation of the Code
If a mission partner believes the law, the code of conduct or TSA’s policies may have been violated or are about to be violated, they should inform their supervisor or report their concern through the Whistleblower hotline (see GV 01.008 Whistleblower policy).

Violation of the code of conduct is a serious matter and could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.