Ode To Contentment: A Shaker Song for Serenity

Here's a historic song on serenity, condemnation of the powerful, and the bliss of the feminine God.

In light of the state of the world, I've been thinking about this song quite a bit. This song from Shaker traditions is over 200 years old, but has good wisdom for the times in which we're living. “Ode to Contentment” was written in 1910 by Shakers Elder Issachar Bates and Elder Richard Pelham. This song praises the virtues of living with a tempered and tranquil nature as a way to combat passions that might lead to harmful choices. The Shakers have always lived in community, and cultivating a calm character is key to communal harmony (Controlling the passions, for a Shaker, would also mean refraining from sex as a way to live a more Christ-like life). The second verse feels particularly relevant right now- I love how it condemns the wealthy “lordlings,” who only possess “splendid wretchedness” and know nothing of actual joy or peace. The “She” of this third verse could be a reference to god in the feminine aspect, since the Shakers recognize god as limitless and possessing the nature of many genders. God is spoken of as both “She” and “He” in many songs. This verse could also be a direct reference to Mother Ann Lee, one of the co-founders of the Shaker faith, who was understood to be a conduit or an “indwelling” for the Christ spirit. 

 I’m a pagan myself, but these lyrics really speak to me at many levels. The need for acting with patience, discernment and a sense of serenity means a lot to me right now- not to mention the song's eschewing of extravagance and its gaze towards a holy feminine figure. This is three of the total four verses to the song- you can find more versions online, and the lyrics I use are below. 

Lyrics

Come contentment lovely guest!

Reign unrivaled in my breast;

Thou alone wilt do

Thou alone canst fill the soul

Every passion canst control,

When the stormy billows roll,

Thou canst bear me through.

All the lordlings of the earth

All their boasts, what is it worth?

Nothing but a show

All the wealth that kinds possess

All their vain and gaudy dress

All is splendid wretchedness

Peace they never know

Nothing on this earth below,

Naught that heaven can bestow,

Fills the soul with peace.

If contentment dwell not there,

All is dreary, dark, and bare;

She alone makes heavenly fare,

She alone is bliss.