Over the next few weeks I am going to share some of the songs, hymns, or anthems that are meaningful to me, not just musically, but spiritually. There are many songs and hymns that I have carried with me for many years, that I continue to listen to, think about, and sing, which move my heart and mind. The first hymn that I would like to share is I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light.
Quite often the hymns we sing have two sources. First, there is the text writer, the author. This is the person who writes the words of the hymn. Second is the composer of the tune, the melody (and maybe even the harmony) which gives the musical line to the hymn. Frequently the text has a name (many times it is simply the first line of the text), and the tune also has a name. In our bulletin each Sunday the tune name is printed in upper case letters on the right side of the page. Once in a while, the same person writes both text and tune, as is the case with I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light.
Kathleen Thomerson is an organist, hymn writer, and university professer who has served churches and taught in Missouri, Illinois, and Texas. While she was visiting The Church of the Redeemer in Houston in 1966 she was inspired to write this text, and paired it with her tune, titled HOUSTON. This simple yet beautiful hymn has been sung by churches around the world, and appears in many hymnals. This recording is the congregation and choir of First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, directed and accompanied by Tom Trenney.
The hymn is simply beautiful, and this recording of it is moving. And I love it in part because of the simple, short statements, several of which begin with “I want…”.
I want to walk as a child of the light
I want to follow Jesus
I want to look at Jesus
I want to be with Jesus
The Biblical image of “the light that shines in the darkness” also echos throughout the hymn, in both the stanzas and the refrain, and the hymn ends with the prayer “shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.”
This is a hymn that I find myself singing many times as I ride down the road, as I hear it come up on my Apple Music Playlist, and each time it brings me hope and encouragement.
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light
HOUSTON
Text and Music by Kathleen Thomerson
1. I want to walk as a child of the light
I want to follow Jesus
God sent the stars to give light to the world
The star of my life is Jesus
Refrain:
In Him, there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus
2. I want to see the brightness of God
I want to look at Jesus
Clear sun of righteousness, shine on my path
And show me the way to the Father
3. I’m looking for the coming of Christ
I want to be with Jesus
When we have run with patience the race
We shall know the joy of Jesus