Eternal Father Strong to Save

 

1 Eternal Father, strong to save,

whose arm has bound the restless wave,

who bade the mighty ocean deep

its own appointed limits keep:

O hear us when we cry to thee

for those in peril on the sea.

2 O Christ, whose voice the waters heard,

and hushed their raging at thy word,

who walked upon the foaming deep,

and calm amid the storm did sleep:

O hear us when we cry to thee

for those in peril on the sea.

When I arrived from downtown Toronto to begin ministry in outport Newfoundland in July of 1980 I began another education. It was regarding the expectations for congregational life that were decided different from those of churches on the mainland. This included the hymn Eternal Father Strong to Save, the version from the old blue hymnary, in circumstances of loss and "peril on the sea." 

In the early days I was frustrated by the pervasive sense of fatalism amongst my parishioners -- "dat's it I suppose" --when tragedy struck, although grief was real and often expressed much more strongly than in reserved "Uppity Canada." I came to realize that many had experienced directly or had family history of loss at sea. What seemed to be fatalism was a coping mechanism. 

The hymn, and that memory of a different culture related to a capricious livelihood in the fishing industry came to mind over the past weekend. A fishing vessel with seven aboard from a community about an hour from the ones I served went missing without a trace. Within a day there was grave concern that the vessel and the crew were lost and search efforts were hampered by fog. By the third day the outlook was grim, then came news that the seven had been found in a life raft, cold and hungry but in remarkably good spirits. A fire aboard had sunk the Elite Navigator in a hurry but they didn't give up hope. According to a CBC piece:

In the days that followed, Carter said the crew had to keep each other warm, there was limited water supply, and the raft kept drifting farther away from land. Nonetheless, they stayed in good spirits.

"We were actually sitting around joking with each other, using the microphone, interviewing each other with the flashlight trying to keep our hopes and everything up," he said. But the most challenging part of the situation wasn't being stuck on a life-raft in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean — it was thinking about what their families were going through.

"The hardest thing about it was knowing we were alive and everyone here thinking the opposite. That was the hardest thing to cope with out there," Carter said.

When they came to shore a crowd estimated at a thousand souls was there to welcome them home. Keep in mind that this is an area with only a couple of thousand residents. 

This was on Saturday, so I can imagine that there were prayers of gratitude in local churches in the New-Wes-Valley area and perhaps some of them sang Eternal Father Strong to Save. 

Word is that the seven are looking forward to getting out on the water again. 

3 O Holy Spirit, who didst brood

upon the chaos dark and rude,

and bade its angry tumult cease,

and gave for wild confusion, peace:

O hear us when we cry to thee

for those in peril on the sea.

4 O Trinity of love and power,

all travellers guard in danger's hour.

From rock and tempest, fire and foe,

protect them wheresoe'er they go:

thus evermore shall rise to thee

glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

                                                         The Elite Navigator in a better day