Good News to the Poor - A New Hymn

I don't know if it's audacious of me to do this - but I have challenged myself to write new hymns (or at least new words for old hymn tunes.)  I worry that someone might think I'm putting myself up there with Charles Wesley or Isaac Watts or Fanny Crosby (who wrote close to 9,000 hymns! Good Gravy!).

Nevertheless, I am doing it. And enjoying it.
This week, I thank my friend Timothy McPherson for pointing me toward the hymn tune Theodoric - also known as Personent Hodie. )  It is a tune that is in our denominational tune book (The Salvation Army) but isn't listed with any words.

So.  I have written some - based on this week's lectionary reading from Luke 4:14 - 21 (which in turn, is drawn from passages in the writings of the prophet Isaiah.)

I have written this hymn as a sort of call and response hymn (is that done?  I don't know.) The normal text is for the song leader, the italicized portions are the congregational response.

Good News to the Poor

I am filled with the pow’r
of the Spirit of God,
anointed to proclaim;
good news to the poor and
good news to the lowly.

      Chorus:
                  Today this scripture
                  has been fulfilled in
                  your hearing and it is
                  good news for us all.

He has sent me to tell
captives they’ve been released,
to restore blinded eyes;
good news to the poor and
good news to the lowly.

The oppressed shall go free
the broken shall be bound
and the lost shall be found;
good news to the poor and
good news to the lowly.

We go out to the world
with the strength of the Lord
to proclaim the good news;
good news to the poor and
good news to the lowly.

The arrangement I've posted below includes once through the melody as an introduction and then 4 verse/chorus.  

If you'd like to download it (I've placed this arrangement into the public domain) click here: