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666

I Will Give You Rest

Scripture References

Further Reflections on Scripture References

In an age of worry and hurry, these gracious, memorable words of Jesus call us to rest and to restoration. They are often spoken at the invitation to the Lord’s table: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…”

 

Sing! A New Creation

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

When we receive God’s pardon, we find ourselves at peace with him and at rest again. When the benefits of Christ are made ours, “They are more than enough to absolve us of our sins” and we need no longer look “for anything apart from him” (Belgic Confession, Article 22). We have “freedom from sin’s dominion” (Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 25) and we understand that we are “set free from all [our] sins and misery…” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1, Question and Answer 2). We are “righteous before God and heir to everlasting life” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 23, Question and Answer 59).

666

I Will Give You Rest

Additional Prayers

A Prayer for Rest
O Lord Jesus Christ, comforter of the weary, give us rest. We are sick and tired, and sick and tired of being sick and tired. Give us rest. We have worn ourselves out on trivial things and exhausted ourselves with things that perish. O Lord Jesus Christ, comforter of the weary, give us rest. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
666

I Will Give You Rest

Tune Information

Name
REST
Key
F Major
Meter
5.5.7.5

Musical Suggestion

The pastoral tune carries the text in long, gentle lines. A slower pace is effective when the congregation is reflective. When moving more quickly, think in two beats per measure. If sung more than once, avoid any ritard until the final time. Play in a sustained manner.
 
The simpler the accompaniment and texture, the more “restful” the effect. Lead with a soothing guitar (classical preferred over folk, and finger-picking over strumming or flat-picking). Keep the piano accompaniment simple, with the inside voices subdued. A descant for two flutes, reminiscent of Bach’s “Sheep May Safely Grace,” can be found in Sing! A New Creation Leader’s Edition, #70.
— Sing! A New Creation
666

I Will Give You Rest

Author and Composer Information

Barbara Boertje (b. 1959) has an undergraduate degree in keyboard performance from Central College, Pella, IA, and a Masters in Music from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ. She served in full-time church positions for nineteen years, most recently as Minister of Music at First Reformed Church, Grandville, MI. She also taught in Toyko, Japan for a couple of years. In addition to composing several congregational songs, many of her compositions and arrangements for choir, handbells, piano, and instruments have been published. She currently resides in Iowa.
— Emily Brink

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