The Servant Song

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.

Brother, sister, let me serve you;
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I might have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey;
We are family on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the miles and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the nighttime of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping;
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joys and sorrows
Till we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in Heaven
We shall find such harmony,
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony.

Brother, sister, let me serve you;
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I might have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.

Here’s an unusual, comparatively newer song that is found in the 2015 Song Book. It was first published in 1978 on a record album called “Father, Make Us One” and later in “Songs of Praise” – a book now used widely in New Zealand. The writer is Richard Gillard, who was born in England but moved to New Zealand with his family at the age of three. He had little formal musical training and considers himself a self-taught guitarist. Much of his singing is “folk style”. Clearly Richard Gillard felt the need to influence Christians to be united in their service to the Lord and to support each other through life’s ups and downs – a good message as we begin a new season in our church life.