Common Ground Song 50 ‘Here I am, Lord’
Words & Music: Daniel L Schutte © OCP Publications
YouTube recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcxOkht8w7c
Featured image: Samuel’s Call, from bible.art

This hymn, probably about thirty years old now, is still popular in many churches. The melody is easily singable, and easy to memorise. It also covers an area of Christian experience that is covered directly by surprisingly few hymns: hearing and responding to God’s call.  It therefore sits between those hymns and worship songs which simply praise God for his power and goodness, and those which are about the life, work and witness of the Church.

The notes in ‘Common Ground’ suggest the verses be sung by a soloist (cantor) as the ‘voice of God’, with the congregation just singing the chorus each time as a response.  That makes sense, but I have never seen it used this way, only as a congregational hymn. It is, however, helpful to remember when singing it that the verses represent what God might be saying to us about his concerns for humanity: ‘I have heard my people cry’, ‘I have borne my people’s pain’ (an indirect reference to the Cross). They also say what God intends to do about our crying and pain: ‘I will make their darkness bright’. ‘I will give them hearts for love alone’. ‘I will tend the poor and lame’, etc.

But God, though he can work miracles of healing, generally prefers to work with human hands. That is why each verse finishes with the words ‘Whom can I send?’ The answer he expects, which is the chorus, is ‘Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? … ‘I will go if you lead me, I will hold your people in my heart’.

In that sense, though it was surely not written with Lent in mind, it is suitable for this season at the start of Lent, when we think about Christ’s own call to ministry, and about leaving selfish ways behind to follow him more closely ourselves.  There are many places in Scripture where God reminds his people that what he requires is not fasting or self-denial for its own sake, but only as a way of drawing closer to him, and fulfilling his commandment to love one’s neighbour as oneself.