Hymn of the Week: ‘Here I Am, Lord’

I was in balmy Palm Beach, Florida this weekend, leading a retreat for deacons and their wives there. And this perennial modern classic was our recessional—and an appropriate one, too. To my way of thinking, this was a stirring and meaningful end to a weekend devoted to thinking and praying about diakonia. 

Here I am, Lord!

The rendition included here is pretty thrilling—just watch the video above—and I doubt anyone has heard this familiar hymn sung quite like this, with a full orchestra and thousands of voices.

As the entry below from Wikipedia makes clear, this hymn has caught on everywhere, and has been embraced by many Christian denominations:

Here I Am, Lord, also known as “I, the lord of sea and sky,” is a well known Christian hymn written by Dan Schutte in 1981. Its words are based on Isaiah 6:8 and 1 Samuel 3. It is published by OCP Publications and has become one of the most well known Catholic hymns in use today.

Despite its Catholic origins, Schutte’s hymn is also sung in many Protestant worship services and is found in most Christian hymnals being translated into over 20 languages. It has been used at many Papal Masses and at International World Youth Day events.

In 2004 a survey conducted by The Tablet, an international Catholic magazine, reported Dan Schutte‘s hymn, “Here I Am, Lord” as reader’s favorite. A poll conducted by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians found among members that Schutte’s hymn, “Here I Am, Lord” came in second among “songs that make a difference”.

A 2008 survey conducted by the United Methodist Church found Schutte’s hymn second favorite behind “Amazing Grace.