"We played the flute!" the children said —
"You would not dance or join our game!
We wailed like those who grieve the dead,
And yet you would not do the same."
When John would fast for many days,
The crowds would murmur and condemn;
Yet they complained at Jesus' ways:
"He eats and drinks with those who sin!"
Forgive us, Lord, what we expect!
We want a faith that we control —
Yet faith is not what we direct,
For it's your grace that makes us whole.
And when we let our burdens go
And take your yoke, and learn from you,
We'll find your rest, and then we'll know
Your way, not ours, will see us through.
Hymn Use Permission: This hymn is copyrighted and is not covered by any organization (such as CCLI or OneLicense) that gives churches permission to use church music. If you would like to use this hymn, please contact Carolyn and Bruce Gillette (bcgillette@comcast.net) for permission and to get a copy of the hymn in MS Word format for bulletin use. See also A Dozen Ways to Support Carolyn's Hymn-writing (including hymn use permission).