Valley Princess

“We Are One in the Spirit” on the Native American Style Flute

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

“We Are One in the Spirit” On NAF key E

This is a recording of “We Are One in the Spirit” by Peter Scholtes transposed to the Native American style flute. Scholtes, “[a] parish priest at St. Brendan’s on the South Side of Chicago in the 1960 was very involved in the local Civil Rights movement and needed something for his youth choir to sing at ecumenical, interracial events. Finding nothing, he wrote this song in a single day” in 1966.

The flute I used to play this piece is in the key of E and it was made by David O’Neal of Rising Moon Flutes. No, I’m not getting paid to share that. I’m just letting you know if you’re curious.

Here are two sets of lyrics, one the original set by Sholtes, and a newer set of lyrics used by Beckah Shae in the following YouTube video. They really aren’t that different. She mostly changes it by adding a bridge to it.

Sholtes’ Lyrics

1. We are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord,
we are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord,
and we pray that all unity
will one day be restored

Refrain:
and they’ll know we are Christians
by our love, by our love,
and they’ll know we are Christians
by our love.

2. We will walk with each other,
we will walk hand in hand,
we will walk with each other,
we will walk hand in hand,
and together we’ll spread the news
that God is in our land.

(Refrain)

3. We will work with each other,
we will work side by side,
we will work with each other,
we will work side by side,
and we’ll guard each one’s dignity
and save each one’s pride.

(Refrain)

4. All praise to the Father,
from whom all things come,
and all praise to Christ Jesus,
who is God’s only Son,
and all praise to the Spirit,
who makes us one,

(Refrain)

Beckah Shae’s Lyrics

We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

They will know we are Christians by our love by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
(they will, they will, they will know)

We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
And together we will spread the news that God is in our land

They will know we are Christians by our love by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
(they will, they will, they will know)

And this is how we know what, know what love is
Laid down low till the feet of those are washed in
Grace undeserved like a river flowing
Into peace where hope has no end

We will work with each other
We will work side by side
We will work with each other
We will work side by side
And we’ll save each man’s dignity and guard each man’s pride

They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love (yeah)
By our love (yeah)
They will know who we are by our love by our love
They will know who we are by our love

We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord

Until next time, God, bless.

Sources

The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration. “We Are One in the Spirit (They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love). Hymn number 300.

Beckah Shae – They Will Know (Official Lyric Video). YouTube.com. (1334) Beckah Shae – They Will Know (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube.

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Valley Princess
Sara DuVall is a wife and homeschool mom. She lives in the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama with her husband and four children. Originally from the Florida Gulf Coast, she was raised in the church and worked for the church for some time. Sara has a MA in English literature and certificate in technical communication, having work experience in the field of technical communication and technical editing. Her BA is in cultural anthropology and English writing. Sara has been writing poetry since she was about 13 years old. Inspired by a poem written by her great-grandmother, Sara has studied and enjoyed the art of poetry ever since. She is a published short story author in Northwest Florida State College’s Blackwater Review (2006 and 2007). She is also an award-winning short story author at the University of West Florida (2009). She published her first book, Learning to Love: a Collection of Poetry and 40 Daily Devotions, in 2021. The daughter of a choir director and college music teacher with an MA in voice, Sara was regularly exposed to music from an early age. Although she is a far cry from the vocal qualifications of her mother, and although she is not nearly as proficient a pianist as she should be from her tutelage, Sara has maintained her musical background by expressing herself through acoustic and classical guitar and the Native American style flute, composing many of her own songs. Besides writing and music, one of Sara’s favorite work experiences was as assistant curator of the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida where she got to accession people’s old stuff and guide tours about it. They just don’t make things like they used to.
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