Today – we turn our attention to the marvelous work of Brian Wren. Following is a brief biographical sketch for this gifted hymn writer:

BRIAN WREN (b. 1936) is an internationally published hymn-poet whose work appears in hymnals from all denominations and traditions. Ordained in Britain’s United Reformed Church, he lives in Decatur, Georgia, where he serves as the first holder of the John and Miriam Conant Professorship in Worship at Columbia Theological Seminary. A Fellow of the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada, Brian holds B.A. and D.Phil (= Ph.D.) degrees from Oxford University and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis. He is the author of PRAYING TWICE, the music and words of congregational song (Westminster John Knox Press, 2000), WHAT LANGUAGE SHALL I BORROW? (Crossroad, 1989 – now out of print), PIECE TOGETHER PRAISE: A THEOLOGICAL JOURNEY (1996), an anthology of his hymn poems (Code No. 1884), and six words-and-music hymn collections, of which the most recent are VISIONS AND REVISIONS (1998) (CODE No. 1590) and CHRIST OUR HOPE (2004) [Book Code No. 8222; CD Code No. 8222C]. Brian lives with his partner in marriage and ministry, Rev. Susan Heafield (“Hayfield”), a United Methodist Pastor and composer. Together they have published two worship song collections, WE CAN BE MESSENGERS [Book Code No. 8149, CD Code No. 8150] and TELL THE GOOD NEWS (Book Code No. 8171, CD Code No. 8172) distributed in the USA by Hope Publishing Company. Brian Wren’s hymn collections are published by Hope Publishing Company, which represents all his hymns in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Twenty five Brian Wren hymns appear in Hope’s new hymnal WORSHIP & REJOICE (2001). http://www.hopepublishing.com/html/main.isx?sub=307&search=107

A personal favorite of mine is his text “We Meet as Friends as Table” – paired with Hal H. Hopson’s tune MEAL OF LOVE by Hope Publishing Company in their 2001 publication Worship & Rejoice, hymn 704.

We meet as friends at table, to listen, and be heard, united by the Spirit, attentive to the Word.
Through prayer and conversation we tune our varied views to Christ, whose love has made us the bearers of good news.

With food and drink for sharing the table soon is spread. The freedom meal of Jesus is crowned with wine and bread,
and all, without exception, may eat, and speak, and stay, for this is Christ’s own table where none are turned away.

We share our lives and longings, and when the meal is done we pray as friends at table, and promise to be one.
To Christ, and to each other, we cheerfully belong; apart, our hope is fruitless; together we are strong.

Fulfilled, and glad to follow wherever Christ may lead, we journey from the table to love a world in need
with patience, truth and kindness, that justice may increase and all may sit at table in freedom, joy, and peace.

Copyright 1996 Hope Pubishing Company.

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