Before I Open up my Mouth
What comes out of our mouths says a lot about who we are. And it can all happen in a…
You Feed Us
It was as a result of imagining myself as one of the disciples in the crowd in John 6 that You Feed Us came into being. The second verse is about my experience when trying to see as a disciple might have seen and feel as a disciple might have felt. Entering into scripture with the imagination and all of the senses is a practice that Ignatius incorporated into his Spiritual Exercises. I have found it to be a very powerful way to pray. May this song be a prayer for you.
Words and music by Betsy Gonwa © 2024
You feed us from Your very self
You fill us by pouring out Yourself
You love us, in Your presence, we are loved, we are loved.
You feed us from Your very self
You fill us by pouring out Yourself
And through us, Your love flo-ows out through us,
We become . . .
For five thousand at a feast,
a blind man on the street
a centurion’s daughter that you don’t even see
For a lame man lowered down,
A bleeding woman reaching out
You are bread and You are wine poured out.
You feed us . . .
When we share a loaf
We are not alone
At this table, we’re at home.
What the eye can’t see
What the mind cannot believe
We experience in community.
Before You, We longed for so much more than food
And though we wished, We worked for nothing more than fish
But now You are our Bread!
We fish for women and men
And our hearts and our souls are fed.
You feed us . . .
Your love. No, it’s not by bread alone.
No, it’s not by bread alone. You feed us.
this is very meditative for me. As an activist, I especially appreciate these words:
When we share a loaf
We are not alone
At this table, we’re at home.
What the eye can’t see
What the mind cannot believe
We experience in community.
That seems so appropriate Jane. Jesus was an activist in his day, too!
I can see this flowing out from the Betsy I know. Lots of lines touch me. Examples are, “We are not alone” and “You fill us by pouring out yourself.”
Thanks for allowing me to experience your music.