A Concert of Sacred Metaphors:To The Work

The theme of this song (number 9 in my Concert of Sacred Metaphors series) is almost highly appropriate today. Between job and work done for my master’s degree class, I am consumed with work of one sort of another. But this song speaks of another type of work, something we shouldn’t forget:

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To The work! to the work! we are servants of God,

Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;

With the balm of his counsel our strength to renew,

Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.

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Toiling on, toiling on, Toiling on, toiling on;

Let us hope; let us watch, And labor till the Master comes.

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To the work! to the work! let the hungry be fed,

To the fountain of life let the weary be led;

In the cross and its banner our glory shall be

While we herald the tidings, “Salvation is free!”

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Toiling on, toiling on, Toiling on, toiling on;

Let us hope; let us watch, And labor till the Master comes.

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To the work! to the work! there is labor for all,

For the kingdom of darkness and error shall fall;

And the name of Jehovah exalted shall be

In the loud swelling chorus, “Salvation is free!”

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Toiling on, toiling on, Toiling on, toiling on;

Let us hope; let us watch, And labor till the Master comes.

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To the work! to the work! in the strength of the Lord,

And a robe and a crown shall our labor reward

When the home of the faithful our dwelling shall be

And we shout with the ransomed, “Salvation is free!”

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Toiling on, toiling on, Toiling on, toiling on;

Let us hope (and trust); let us watch (and pray), And labor till the Master comes.

This song wrestles with the dichotomy of faith and works, Rather, it doesn’t see a problem at all. It continually talks about our doing works, and then reminds us that we aren’t working to gain something, but because we already have it. Unlike all that other work, that is striving but not sure of achieving, this is striving because we have already achieved. Encouraging each other in the task before us, with the goal obviously before us.