I heard this beautiful song,
Saturday morning, at the cathedral,
and it’s been in my heart ever since, Lord…
The lyrics are basic, simple, bald and bold:
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart,
Lord I want to be more holy in my heart,
Lord, I want to be like Jesus, in my heart…
I want to be a Christian in my heart, Lord,
and in my words and deeds,
my thoughts and dreams,
when I’m at home, at work,
at school, at play,
I want to be a Christian in my heart…
I want to be more loving in my heart, Lord,
to my friends and those who irk me,
when I’m up and when I’m down,
for my neighbor’s sake, not mine,
I want to be more loving in my heart…
I want to be more holy in my heart, Lord,
rooted deep in grace and wisdom,
weeding out what has no place there,
bearing fruit as sweet as prayer,
I want to be more holy in my heart…
I want to be like you, Lord, in my heart:
patient, merciful and kind,
understanding, strong and selfless,
compassionate and faithful,
I want to be like you, Lord, in my heart…
I want to be the person
you created me to be;
I want to be an open door
for those who’ve been estranged;
I want to be a friend to those
who struggle all alone;
I want to be the one who gives
and doesn’t count the cost;
I want to be a guiding light
for anyone in darkness
I want to be a source of truth
for those who seek you out;
I want to be safe refuge
for the one who lives in fear;
I want to be a servant
for those whose needs are great;
I want to be a Christian
in the way I live my life;
I want to be more loving
in what I say and do;
I want to be more holy, real,
and faithful to my God,
I want to be like you, Lord,
and in you find all my peace…
Protect me, Lord, while I’m awake
and watch over me while I sleep
that awake, I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace…
Lord, I Want To Be A Christian
– Traditional African-American Spiritual
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Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart,
Lord I want to be more holy in my heart,
Lord, I want to be like Jesus, in my heart…
