One More Step Along The World I Go

Last night I enjoyed ‘School Assembly Bangers’ with James Partridge. James is a music teacher, who has become famous on social media singing school assembly songs from forty years ago. He now tours the country, entertaining with nostalgic singalongs.

We had a wonderful evening at The Seagull Theatre, remembering ‘Lord of the dance’, ‘Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning’, ‘Shine Jesus Shine’, ‘When I needed a neighbour’ and many other favourites that we hadn’t sung for many years.

This was one Sydney Carter song that I was pleased to remember:

One more step along the world I go,
One more step along the world I go;
From the old things to the new,
Keep me travelling along with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.

Round the corners of the world I turn,
More and more about the world I learn;
All the new things that I see
You’ll be looking at along with me.
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.

As I travel through the bad and good,
Keep me travelling the way I should.
Where I see no way to go,
You’ll be telling me the way, I know.
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.

Give me courage when the world is rough,
Keep me loving though the world is tough;
Leap and sing in all I do,
Keep me travelling along with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.

You are older than the world can be,
You are younger than the life in me;
Ever old and ever new,
Keep me travelling along with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.

It’s a song about the journey of life, accepting both good and bad, navigating around unexpected corners, bravely embracing the path that sometimes is rough and tough.

Life is about taking ‘one more step’.  We don’t always have to worry about the whole journey. It’s the same for children starting their travels as it is for those who are closer to the end of their journey. We have to take the step required today. It may require courage, stamina and determination, but it’s one more step – from the old and familiar to the new and unknown.

It’s who we travel with that’s important. Although not stated, it’s clear that the song is talking about the God who guides, reassures and encourages, bringing his wisdom, experience and constant companionship. Today’s prayer is ‘Keep me travelling along with you’.