This is What Yahweh Asks of You / Walk Humbly with Your God

This is a hymn about social justice and humility. It is based on Micah 6:8.

The music was written in the late 1960s or early 1970s by American Roman Catholic religious sister and teacher, Mary McGann RSCJ. The song is the title track of an LP of music by McCann and fellow sister and Margo Morris RSCJ. This was recorded by an unnamed Michigan ensemble (ref), and released under the Sound Patterns label in 1974 (ref). A booklet of words released with the album (ref) clarifies that McCann wrote the music for this song.

It was published in More Songs of the Spirit - Songs and Hymns of Renewal, Volume 2, published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd, England in 1981 - and second hand copies of this book are the only known source of sheet music for the song.

The unnamed tune has a 4/4 time signature. In the key of C, the first few notes of the melody are G_ G G A A A G D_ with accompanying chords C / Am / F.

The song is similar to in content and style to the Australian-composed Micah's Theme (Hear then what Yahweh asks of you) - but is clearly a different song.

Downloads

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Examples

Solo singer with backing band - professional recording

Instrumental - guitar

Instrumental - electronic keyboard, melody line only

Lyrics

The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on this website.

The song starts with a three-line chorus, and this is repeated after each of the three verses. A rough outline is:

Chorus:
This is what Yahweh asks of you, only this:
That you act justly, that you love tenderly,
That you walk humbly with your God.

1 My children I am with you such a little while ...

2 Do not let your hearts be troubled ...

3 Peace is the gift I leave with you ...