A Farmer Explains a Hymn

Brian Petersen, wrote this hymn during a Worship class in February, 2013

From the Story of Joseph

I didn't set out to use this story for my class assignment, I wanted to do Lyrics about how Israel moved from slavery in Egypt to a free and generous people in the wilderness. However I got stuck on the story of Joseph. I had often thought there were many parallels between the life of Christ and the things God did through Joseph. That is what my hymn is about, the foreshadowing of a savior. There is so much going on here, that I decided to also add a commentary to explain line by line, so the richness of the story and the parallels to Christ are understood. See the second page for this. I have no idea how you would put music to this, but it does sound poetical. I might have switched forms for the last paragraph, but those were the words in my mind. What does it mean when the poem is 16 short lines and the explanation is three pages? I guess there is more going on here than meets the eye. Check it out. Here is the poem again.

A Farmer Writes a Hymn

Hymn by Brian Petersen - From the Story of Joseph

This is a hymn (a poem really, since there is no music) I wrote during a class on worship at Cross Roads College here in Rochester. Lisa and I took this class together during January-February 2013 as a date night activity. See my previous post for explanation of the class. I commend classes like this to you.

I wrote the poem in a day or two, but it took weeks to understand it. There are parallels here between the story of Joesph and Jesus that I had never seen before and didn't even understand until I had really contemplated the words and gained insight from studying the story of Joseph more deeply. See my next post for the analysis.

Can a Farmer Write a Hymn?

I recently had the most amazing experience. Lisa and I took a class on the “Theology and Philosophy of Worship”.. It was an evening class that met for 5 weeks.

One of our assignments was to write a hymn. This was going to be impossible because I have little musical ability. Thankfully that was not required.  My hymn was about the parallels between the life of Joseph (in the Old Testament) as a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus.  Andrea, my daughter, a music education and composition major said, “very cool, dad”. For a non-musical Dad that says it all.

So here is my hymn (a poem really, since there are no notes).

A diadem of colors, white, Israel's favorite son

Foresees majestic future, bright, from the Holy One.

Wicked jealous brothers, bent, no vision only cost

Betray the young redeemer, sent, a son of Israel lost

A sojourn in a country, far, of stripes and victories won

A faithful broken servant's, star, keeps listening as a son

Two men in dungeon dreary, three, have messages divine

For one the bread is broken, tree, one partakes the wine.

A holy humble servant, best, suffering but meek

A vision during kingly, rest, interpretations seek

A whisper from creator, of mystery, earthly kings

Lifts up a slave, of history, a world salvation brings

Israel's King triumphant, fight, His wisdom bless and save

Narrow path for lasting life, of light, from birth to grave

Brothers restored, Israel unite, to the Son of favor

The Father saved, The Spirit's might, through Jesus Christ our Savior.