[Biblemat] hymn study, "May the Mind of Christ, My Savior"

[Wayne S Walker]

Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study.

"MAY THE MIND OF CHRIST, MY SAVIOR"
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5)

     INTRO.:  A hymn which exhorts us to let the mind be in us which was
also in Christ Jesus is "May The Mind of Christ, My Savior" (#569 in
Hymns for Worship Revised).  The text was written by Kate Barclay
Wilkinson, who was born on Aug. 27, 1859, at Woodlands Bank, Timperley in
Cheshire, England.  The daughter of a mechanical engineer, William
Beckett Johnson, she married Frederick Barclay Wilkinson, a cashier, at
St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Altrincham, Cheshire, in 1891. 
Working with young women in west London, she was apparently actively
involved in the Keswick Deeper Life Convention movement.  Keswick is a
market town and urban district in Cumberland, England.  English poets
Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge lived there at Greta Hall.
 
     In the late 1800's and early 1900's, Keswick was the site of a
series of meetings designed to promote more devotion to Christ in the
Church of England.  Through the years several such movements have arisen
to push for greater consecration to the Lord in various religious
organizations.  Of course, any attempt, whether by individual or group,
to accomplish the aim of drawing closer to God's will, must put great
stress on learning and following the mind of Christ in the life of each
person.  The desire of all who wish to please the Lord should be that as
they mature in the faith, their personality and character will take on
more Christ-like qualities.  This hymn must have been produced before
1913 because it evidently appeared in print as a poem that year.  

     The tune (St. Leonards) was composed by Arthur Cyril Barnham-Gould
(1891-1953).  After attending Ridley Hall at Cambridge, he became an
Anglican minister in 1927, serving All Souls' Church at Langham Place
from 1927 to 11929, Holy Trinity Church in Brompton from 1832 to 1936,
and St. Paul's Church at Onslow Square from 1936 to 1953.  Text and tune
were first published together in the 1925  Golden Bells Hymnal.  Kate
Wilkinson died just three years later, on Dec. 28, 1928, at Kensington in
London, England.  However, her hymn remains as an encouragement to
prepare for both our worship on the Lord's day and our daily living by
seeking the mind of Christ in our hearts.

     Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the
twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the only one that I know
of to include the song is Hymns of Worship Revised.  Other books in my
collection to contain the hymn are the 1966 Crusader Hymns edited by
Cliff Barrows; the 1968 Great Hymns of the Faith edited by John W.
Peterson; the 1972 Living Hymns edited by Alfred B. Smith; the 1974 Hymns
of the Living Church edited by Donald Hustad; the 1976 Hymns for the
Family of God edited by Fred Bock; the 1979 Praise: Our Songs and Hymns
edited by Norman Johnson; the 1987 Worship His Majesty edited by Fred
Bock; the 1989 Worship the Lord edited by Lloyd A. Larsen; the 1990
Trinity Hymnal Revised edited by Lawrence C. Roff; the 1993 Sing to the
Lord Hymnal edited by Ken Bible; the 1995 Rejoice Hymnal edited by Vernon
M. Whaley; the 1997 Celebration Hymnal edited by Tom Fettke; the 2001
Worship and Rejoice edited by Scott A. Shorney; and the 2006 Christian
Life Hymnal edited by Eric Wyse

     The song asks God to help us add to our lives various aspects of the
will of Christ.

I. Stanza 1 teaches us that we need the mind of Christ
"May the mind of Christ, my Savior, Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling All I do and say."
 A. We need the mind of Christ so that our minds can be renewed to do His
will: Rom. 12.1-2
 B. Also, we need to seek the mind of Christ from day to day because we
must take up our cross daily and follow Him: Lk. 9.23
 C. The result will be that by His love and power He will be controlling
all we do and say so that others will see Christ living in us: Gal. 2.20

II. Stanza 2 teaches that we need the word of Christ dwelling in us
"May the Word of God dwell richly In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph Only through His power."
 A. The mind of Christ lives in us to the extent that His word dwells in
us richly: Col. 3.16
 B. Thus, we need to have the word of Christ in us from hour to hour so
that it is our meditation all the day: Ps. 119.97
 C. Only by allowing the word of Christ to dwell in us can we have the
triumph that is in Christ by His power: 2 Cor. 2.14

III. Stanza 3 teaches that we need the peace of God ruling our hearts
"May the peace of God, my Father, Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort Sick and sorrowing."
 A. As the result of the word of Christ dwelling in us, we can have the
peace of God in our hearts: Phil. 4.7
 B. However, it is not enough just to have the peace of God; we need to
let it rule our lives in everything: Col. 3:15
 C. The result will be that as we allow God's peace to comfort us, we can
in turn comfort others: 2 Cor. 1.3-4

IV. Stanza 4 teaches that we need the love of Jesus filling us
"May the love of Jesus fill me As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing, This is victory."
 A. When we live so that we are at peace with God, then His love is
perfected in us: 1 Jn. 2.5
 B. When we understand this love, we will exalt Him and deny ourselves:
Matt. 16.24
 C. Because of His love, we can have the victory that genuine faith
brings: 1 Jn. 5.4

V. Stanza 5 teaches that we need strength from the Lord to face the foe
"May I run the race before me, Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus As I onward go."
 A. When the love of Jesus fills us, we will recognize that there is a
race that we must run: 1 Cor. 9.24
 B. However, just as running a physical race requires one to be
physically strong, so running the spiritual race requires one to be
spiritually strong to face whatever foes or obstacles that we might face:
Eph. 6.10
 C. This strength comes from looking unto Jesus: Heb. 12.1

VI. Stanza 6 teaches that we need the beauty of Christ resting upon us
"May His beauty rest upon me, As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, Seeing only Him."
 A. If we are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, then our
lives will be having the right kind of influence on others whom we meet:
Matt. 5.16
 B. It should be our desire the lost to win, just as the one whom we
follow came to seek and save the lost: Lk. 19.10
 C. In so doing, however, we must never preach ourselves but only Christ
Jesus the Lord so that others see Christ in us, the hope of glory: 2 Cor.
4.5, Col. 1.27

     CONCL.:  The six stanzas of the hymn were originally intended for
each day of the week leading up to Sunday.  However, every day we ought
to ask ourselves the question, "What is the Christ-like way for handling
this or that situation?"  Therefore at all times I should be examining
myself and asking the Lord, "May the Mind of Christ, my Savior" be in me.

     Brotherly,
Wayne S. Walker
9024 Amona Dr.
Affton, MO  63123
home phone: (314) 638-4710
office phone: (314) 544-1612
e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com
website: www.defenderoftruth.com
     Notes: Other hymn studies are available at the Defender of Truth
website.  Also, some of my previous hymn studies are now included in book
that I have written entitled Songs of Zion.  It can be ordered from the
publisher by calling 1-800-423-2484 or going to www.faith-facts.com.  And
if you would like to receive a similar daily hymn study by e-mail, you
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