Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by;
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high. (Hymns and Psalms, 86 v3)
I've admired Dudley-Smith ever since I discovered Child of the Stable's Secret Birth , in the 1980s, soon after Hymns and Psalms was first published. This hymn, Tell Out My Soul (Tune: Woodlands), is based upon the Magnificat and is possibly better known. Dudley-Smith retired a long time ago but is still writing hymns (I discovered the video on 13 March 2010 and so he is clearly still active). He is a modern hymn writer who is much under-valued (at least by British Methodists).
This verse addresses the issues Walter Wink identifies and once again we have a glimpse into the radical world-turned-upsidedown we never lose sight of as we read the Gospels. It is a struggle to keep radical as we wrestle with the words of Scripture. I wonder whether this hymn really helps?
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