Hymn: 15 OT A

Meter is 87.87.887. While originally written with the melody "Es ist das Heil uns kommen her" in mind, I think it is safe to say that most Roman Catholics would go "Huh?" and pass this text by. However, there is another tune of this meter, found in Worship III: "Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr," which is given to the metricized text of the Gloria in Excelsis, "All Glory Be to God on High," #527.



A farmer went out to his field

And scattered seed for sowing;

Part fell on parths, devoured by birds;

And some in thorns were going.

Some fell upon the rocky ground,

But some a fertile home had found

To spring up, lush and growing.



The Word of God comes forth to us

As falls the rain from heaven,

As seed is sown by farmer's hand,

And for our life is given.

The Spirit, working deep within,

Who gives us grace to know our sin,

Will move us into freedom.



Let us this message mark and hear,

That we may know its treasure

And, living lives transformed by Christ,

Await in fullest measure

The glory that we know shall be

Revealed for all eternity

To us as sons and daughters.