A Hymn for Adventures

A friend went to be with the Lord last week and I wrote the following in her memory and to share with our church family.

Stearly passed away on her 88th birthday and lived life fully as the gift God meant it to be. Her adventures including winning sailboat races, being a medical doctor at a time when it was rare for women and lifeguarding in her sixties. Her eyes lit up every time she learned something new about the Lord and she never stopped learning about Him!

In the same way families have family crests, Stearly’s family had a family hymn and Stearly often referred to it with a huge smile on her face. 

He Who Would Valiant Be is an English hymn based on a hymn found in John Bunyan’s classic allegory of the Christian life, “The Pilgrim’s Progress.”

In Bunyan’s book, a character named Valiant-for-Faith recounts the many dangerous challenges he faced on his way to The Celestial City and how he chose to pursue the path anyway, believing the assurances of a man named Mr. Tell-True. 

The hymn follows his testimony and follows Stearly’s testimony, too.

Winfred Douglas, composer of one of the main hymn tunes used for the text wrote that “the quaint sincerity of the words stir us out of our easy-going dull Christianity to the thrill of great adventure.”

He Who Would Valiant Be

John Bunyan (revised a bit by Percy Dearmer)

He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,

Let him in constancy follow the Master.

There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent

His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round with dismal stories

Do but themselves confound—his strength the more is.

No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,

He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,

We know we at the end, shall life inherit.

Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say,

I’ll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.