Our Saviour’s Rouser
© 2019 Bret Hesla.
We are called, nurtured and sent
to celebrate the beauties of life.
Called, nurtured and sent
to serve, and share what God has provided.
We are called, nurtured and sent
to go do justice in this land.
We are L U T H E R A N S
making P E A C E.
All together! Halleluya! Amen!
Words and music by Bret Hesla.
Written on commission for Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Minneapolis.
© 2019 Bret Hesla. All rights reserved. Use with permission, please.
Licensed via OneLicense.net, Contact: Bret.hesla@gmail.com.
Recording:
Piano: Tom Witt; Flute: Ray Makeever;
Vocals: Rebekah Moir, Martha Schwen-Bardwell, Cathy Pino, Nate Crary, Paul Andress, Ray Makeever, Chris Tripolino, Bret Hesla
Notes: Our Saviour’s Rouser
This song was commissioned for the 150th Anniversary of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When I first met with the anniversary committee, I asked what they had in mind for the song they wanted. The first thing they said was, “our mission statement.” Now you might think, hmmm, mission statement, kind of dry. But not this one: “we are called nurtured and sent to celebrate, serve and do justice.” I got to thinking, what is a mission statement. It’s something we all rally around and whole-heartedly buy in to. Which made me think back to my high school fight song, except here we’re committed to nonviolence, so let’s call it a rouser. I think every group needs it’s own rouser. Schools already have them. Why not churches? Here’s ours.
By the way, if you want to sing this in your community, you don’t have to spell it “L-u-t-h-e-r-a-n-s”. We are M-E-T-H-O-D-I-S-Ts, or C-A-T-H-O-L-I-C-S, or M-E-N-N-O-N-I-T-Es, or U-N-I-T-A-R-I-A-Ns, or U-N-D-E-C-I-D-E-Ds, or P-R-E-S-B-Y-Ter-E-Ns, or C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-Ns, etc. No matter how you spell it, the sky’s the limit on peacemaking, justice and joy. Let’s all get on board.
ps. I managed to get another song out of this same mission statement, Loves Wide Embrace. Different flavor altogether–more of a straight-up hymn.