Friday, November 19, 2010

"Open My Eyes That I May See"



"Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine.


Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine.


Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my heart, illumine me,
Spirit divine."


Clara H. Fiske Scott

Clara was born in 1841 in Elk Grove, Illinois. In 1856 she attended a musical institute in Chicago and then went on to teach music at the Ladies Seminary in Lyons, Iowa. She married Henry Clay Scott in 1861.

In 1882 she published The Royal Anthem Book. It contained over three hundred hymns that she had written and was the first anthem collection ever published by a woman.

She died, tragically, on June 21, 1897 in a buggy accident.


In an interesting side-note, the hymnal I am using lists Charles H. Scott as the author of this hymn. A little mystery....perhaps just a bit of confusion about the first name.

Blessings,
Linda