I cannot dance, O Love

I cannot dance, O Love. Jean Janzen (1933- ). Written in 1991 for the American Guild of Organists’ Region 1 Conference in Greater Hartford. The hymn appears in American hymnbooks such as Hymnal: a Worship Book (1992) and the Chalice Hymnal (1995). The tune is by Alice Parker (1925- ), a composer of vocal music. This hymn is based on the writings of Mechthild of Magdeburg* (ca. 1207-ca. 1282). The first verse describes the singer’s need for God’s support: ‘I cannot dance, O Love,/ unless you lead me on.’ The second verse is a mystic vision of God as music and (female) musician: ‘Your Spirit is the harpist/ and all your children sing; her hands the currents around us, your love the golden...