Hello, Merry Mystics!

This coming Sunday, in many churches, we’ll celebrate the baptism of Jesus. I wrote this song about that story—from the perspective of the dove. I borrowed most of the melody from Sir Arthur Sullivan (H. M. S. Pinafore). When I started the lyric, I thought it was going to be something for congregational singing, but on the whole I think it works better as a solo:

If you’d like to try it, there’s sheet music here.

Bright blessings,

Adam

P.S. Here’s that lyric:

I Am but a Little Dove

To the man of God I came,
where the Jordan’s waters flow.
When the Spirit called his name,
what it meant I did not know.
I am but a little dove; all I know of God is love.

Sore afraid, I shut my beak,
but in me, the greater Dove
flew that day. I heard Her speak
words of sure, parental love.
Though I’m just a gentle bird, let me tell you what I heard:

Wings aflame and feathers flared,
Her unending love She sang.
Love for him, Her coo declared,
till the earth and heavens rang.
Neither far nor fast I fly, yet Her flight made light the sky.

When you baptize, do you know
that Her sky remains alight?
Do you feel Her love still flow
down to earth from heaven’s height?
Do you see, inside your church, what I see from where I perch?

Turn your face up to Her sky;
let Her wingtip brush your brow.
On Her love you can rely—
just don't ask me why or how.
I am but a little dove; all I know of God is love.