Those playing along at home will note that I have left out the essential song of mourning by Shirley Murray called, “When Human Voices Cannot Sing” AA 151. This is because it showed up in other hymnals and I have blogged it here.
“When We Lift Our Pack and Go” is a song that resonates in countries like New Zealand and Australia where many people are of immigrant origin and fated to be in places from which many people travel or leave for careers. The Madden’s, for example, came from Ireland in about 1860 and settled in the Ipswich area. Family legend says they were such lousy farmers that they became carpenters and are responsible for the pews in St Mary’s, Ipswich. Being very multicultural and on the receiving end of American and European media, makes many Australians and New Zealanders outward looking and on the move.
Hence a song with:
God is in the other place,
God is in another face,
in the faith we travel by,
God is in the other place.
The message that God is found in the stranger, and that journey and pilgrimage are rituals of trusting outside our comfort, are salutary thoughts.
The text and sheet music for Ian Render’s lovely setting are at Hope Publishing.