"Bring them in" - VIBES Week 8

"Bring Them In" ("Hark, 'Tis the Shepherd's Voice I Hear") is an enduring hymn filled with a powerful call and timeless imagery. At its heart, the hymn speaks of Jesus Christ as the caring Shepherd seeking out those who have wandered away from faith. It reminds us of the importance of reaching out to those who are spiritually lost, bringing them back into the safety and guidance of Christian community.

The hymn uses the simple yet poignant metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep. Imagine a bleak landscape where the shepherd's gentle voice echoes. He seeks his sheep who have strayed, lost in a desolate place. The hymn asks who will join the Shepherd in this compassionate quest, helping to find the wandering ones and bring them back to the security of the fold. Finally, we hear the cries of the lost, vulnerable in the wilderness, and the Master's (Jesus's) call to his followers, urging them to answer the plea for help.

While simple, the words of "Bring Them In" have a profound impact. They remind us that those who have drifted from faith are not condemned, but rather in need of our compassion and help. Most importantly, the hymn sparks a sense of responsibility within us – a desire to play an active role in sharing Christ's message and leading those who have lost their way back towards spiritual belonging.

Lyrics:

LYRICS: Hark! ’tis the Shep­herd’s voice I hear
Out in the de­sert dark and drear,
Calling the sheep who’ve gone as­tray
Far from the Shep­herd’s fold away.

Refrain

Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin;
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring the wan­d’ring ones to Je­sus.

Who’ll go and help this Shep­herd kind,
Help Him the wand’ring ones to find?
Who’ll bring the lost ones to the fold,
Where they’ll be shel­tered from the cold?

Refrain

Out in the de­sert hear their cry,
Out on the mount­ains wild and high;
Hark! ’tis the Mas­ter speaks to thee,
Go find My sheep where’er they be.

Refrain

Source [https://hymnary.org/text/hark_tis_the_shepherds_voice_i_hear]