I wasn’t at all sure about this song when a fellow musician at church brought it along but it has grown on me. It is a Eucharist song and so always welcome, written by Jimmy Owens. I gather it is from a musical he wrote called “The Witness.” There is a sample to listen to here.
This is a normal church group singing the song.
You may need to contact the author (jimmyowens@adelphia.net) to get the music, unless you can get an old copy of Scripture in Song Book 2.
This is my body, broken for you,
Bringing you wholeness, making you free.
Take it and eat it.
And as you do, do it in love for Me.This is my blood poured out for you,
Bringing forgiveness, making you free.
Take it and drink it,
And as you do, do it in love for Me.
I found these extra lyrics on the net that aren’t used in the musical:
Back to my Father soon I shall go
Do not forget me, then you will see
I am still with you, and you will know
you’re very close to me.Filled with my Spirit, how you will grow
You are my branches, I am the tree
If you are faithful, others will know
you are alive in me.Love one another, I have loved you
and I have shown you how to be free
serve one another, and when you do
do it in love for me.
© Lexicon Music 1978.
Like you, I didn’t think much of this when I’d only met the first two verses. But the extra words add some depth, and parishes I’ve been in have used it a lot. The extra words were added by Damian Lundy: they’re published in Kevin Mayhew’s “More Songs of the Spirit – Songs and Hymns of Renewal, Volume 2”, though I don’t know if this was the first place they appeared.
The whole song has been published in a number of other places too – I’ve seen several not-so-battered copies. But unfortunately I don’t know where they come from: it’s not in the earlier Celebration Hymnal, or the last Hymns Old and New, though I would expect some of the more recent Kevin Mayhew books to have it.
Yes – “Praying in Song” (Mayhew) has all the verses.
Love your site and all you offer! Thanks.
Ian
Thanks for all the information, Mary. We’ve never used the extra verses: we just used the two verses like a longish mantra.
Like Mary, really like the extra verses. Frankie
What a beautiful piece of music!
Heard this sang female solo at communion this morning (Easter Sunday) and it was beautiful, so moving and so poignant for the day it was. It was sung slightly slower and all the verses. I absolutely love this song.