[July 2006 journal entry]
I had not listened closely to the words of the widely/frequently heard contemporary ‘Christian music’ song -- Blessed Be Your Name – until sitting (silently) in a Sunday morning gathering of the ‘house church’ we have been attending since moving to Memphis. Note how the song’s words affirm/celebrate the ‘God’ language and T/O paradigm represented in the prologue + epilogue fairy tale version of the story of Job. Note how the ‘scrapheap’ Job met in the extended middle section of the full text of the story is entirely absent. Note how the words are sung passionately, enthusiastically, without ambiguity, without angst.
Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful, where your streams of abundance flow.
Blessed be your name when I’m found in the desert place, though I walk through the wilderness.
Blessed be your name when the sun shines down on me, when the world’s all as it should be.
Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering, though there’s pain in the offering.
Every blessing you pour out, I’ll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say --
“Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be your glorious name.”
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say –
“Lord, blessed be your name.”