As light for our dark world

(THE SOWER)

1 As light for our dark world he came,
the long-awaited dawn,
when Mary's child in Bethlehem
for us was humbly born.
And still that sun has never set -
There's no benighted place
where Jesus cannot shine on us
his clarity and grace.

2 As healer of the sick he came,
whose wounds made sinners whole;
his comfort and forgiveness spoke
to many a troubled soul.
His cross speaks peace and mercy still,
for sins are pardoned there;
he'll satisfy our deepest needs
and all our sorrows share.

3 As Saviour of the lost he came,
to suffer grief and pain;
to drink for us the cup of death,
and then to rise again.
And in his risen power still
we have the victory,
for when we yield our lives to Christ
we live as truly free.

~~~

Tune: THE SOWER
Metre: 8.6.8.6 D Key: A♭

words © Emma Turl / Jubilate
CCLI: 5730030
music © John Turl

A setting of these lyrics to another tune can be seen at:
As light for our dark world he came - Jubilate

Keyboard Demo:

Instrumental Performance:

Sources: Isaiah 9:2, 53:4-5, Mark 8:31, Luke 1:78-79, John 1:4-5, John 1:15, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 4:6, Ephesians 1:19-20, Philippians 4:19, 1 Peter 2:21, 2:24
Themes: Epiphany, forgiveness, healing, light of the world, nativity, resurrection, Easter, salvation

back in 1984 John asked me if I would like to write words for a tune he had just composed. Three months later the words of this song came to me, but by then he had written his own lyrics based on Jesus's parable of the sower. My words originally formed four verses - the first describing the one who came as God's never-setting Sun, the second the Saviour through whose risen life we still have the victory, the third the healer whose cross speaks peace and mercy yet today, and the fourth our response as we come to crown him King of our lives. I revised these words (2009) and sent them to the text advisory group at Jubilate who recommended fffurther amendments including removing one verse and rearranging the others. Other lyrics elsewhere have been refreshed or reinnvented in a similar way - I have often been very grateful for the feedback and suggestions of Jubilate, Praise Trust and several hymn-writers in addition who have made improvements and left their invaluable albeit invisible marks on my offerings.

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