MTC Week #85 - Abide With Me

Alex Sharpe - Guest Artist on Music & the Spoken Word, 8/16/15

We were privileged to be able to sing, this morning, with guest artist Alex Sharpe. Alex is from Ireland and is most known for performing with Celtic Woman (an all-female Irish musical ensemble) from 2008 to 2010. Alex has performed in various musicals, has sung with numerous orchestras and ensembles, but the thing she loves most is singing hymns. 

And singing a hymn is exactly what she got to do today.

While I have enjoyed the hymn "Abide With Me," it has never been considered one of my favorites. However, the arrangement we were able to accompany Alex on today, was simply amazing. The choir acted as "heavenly background angels" and the piano accompaniment was so very pretty. Part of the arrangement included the familiar verses from Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." and I think that was one of my favorite parts of the song. Words don't quite do justice to what I'm trying to describe, but I was really moved by this song today and was glad to revisit the lyrics to it.

Abide with me! fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!


I don't care who you are--you're going through something. Everyone is. Everyone is fighting a personal battle. And even though we sometimes get a small break from it (or rather, something good happens to offset the hardship temporarily), it still remains. And once it concludes, if it concludes, there's always another one to take its place.

But this song helps remind me that even when the darkness deepens and comforts flee, our Savior Jesus Christ is there to be with us. He's there to comfort us. Indeed, He's there to abide with us.

And that makes all the difference.

Until next time, God be with you.