The words come as the close of Vanstone's brilliant book Love's Endeavour, Love's Expense.
If you don't know it, it's time to visit amazon.
by William H. Vanstone
Morning            glory, starlit sky,
         Leaves in springtime, swallows' flight,
         Autumn gales, tremendous seas,
         Sounds and scents of summer night;
            Soaring music, tow'ring words,
         Art's perfection, scholar's truth,
         Joy supreme of human love,
         Memory's treasure, grace of youth;
            Open, Lord, are these, Thy gifts,
         Gifts of love to mind and sense;
         Hidden is love's agony,
         Love's endeavour, love's expense.
            Love that gives gives ever more,
         Gives with zeal, with eager hands,
         Spares not, keeps not, all outpours,
         Ventures all, its all expends. 
Drained            is love in making full;
         Bound in setting others free;
         Poor in making many rich;
         Weak in giving power to be. 
Therefore            He Who Thee reveals
         Hangs, O Father, on that Tree
         Helpless; and the nails and thorns
         Tell of what Thy love must be.
            Thou are God; no monarch Thou
         Thron'd in easy state to reign;
         Thou art God, Whose arms of love
         Aching, spent, the world sustain. 
Thanks for this reflection and site.
ReplyDeletePlease visit Liturgy
There’s even a video of mine you may be interested in embedding.
Blessings
What tune do you use with this?
ReplyDeleteThat's my question too!
ReplyDelete...and I so agree, that book is utter gold.
I want to ask about the tune, also! I know some of Vanstone's writing, but not this ... thank you, Kathryn!
ReplyDeleteWe sing this to Song 13- Orlando Gibbons (No 544 in Ancient and Modern. It's a 77 77 time and goes very well.
ReplyDeleteGillian Humphries
We sing this to Song 13, Orlando Gibbons It's a 77 77 metre and goes very well. You'll find the tune 544 in Hymns Ancient and Modern. Hope this helps.
ReplyDelete