Take, O take me as I am

Take, O take me as I am. John Bell* (1949– ). This ‘wee song’ from the Scotland-based Iona Community* first appeared in Come All You People: Shorter Songs for Worship (Glasgow, 1994; Chicago, 1995) in the section entitled ‘Leaving’. This was the first of several volumes produced by the Community devoted primarily to shorter songs. The song has been included in at least 25 collections on both sides of the Atlantic and translated into Korean and Spanish.  Written for the weekly service of commitment held in the Iona Abbey (Westermeyer, 2010, p. 690), instructions for the song indicate that ‘This verse is primarily a quiet song of dedication. It may be used as people walk forward to the front...