Come as you are: The story of the song

Sr Deirdre Browne, a Catholic Sister from Australia, who wrote the hymn Come As You Are.

“Come, grow into the fulness of life that God intended for each of us. In such an environment, others too will be impelled to ‘go sit with the broken, stand with their pain’ thus providing the spiritual and emotional sustenance that they so need.”

IN JULY 2015, Open Table began to multiply from one to many communities and become the growing partnership and charity that it is today. Taking inspiration from the title a hymn one of our founding members heard on returning to church after many years, we created a logo for the new Open Table network in 2016 with the slogan ‘Come As You Are’.

The hymn speaks of the infinite, unconditional, intimate love of God, and inspires us to model this in the hospitality we offer in our communities. ‘Come As You Are’ is our invitation to belong in our communities, and our network. The hymn-writer, Sister Deirdre Browne, an Australian Catholic Sister of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), has kindly written this reflection for our anniversary:

Thank you for sharing your story of the impact of my song ‘Come as you Are’ on the Open Table Network. I am always grateful to hear that it has been a transformative influence in people’s lives, particularly for those who, for whatever reason, feel left out and lonely, on the margins of life when most in need.

When I first jotted down Come as you are, it was simply a few words and a scrap of music. It grew into a gift that continues to give.

It came about as the result of my reception of the Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation. Following my personal disclosure of sinfulness, I became aware of a graced moment which later caused me to take up pen and paper and write words and music to this haunting phrase: Come as you are. Music and words flowed so quickly that I felt I was simply writing what was already fully composed. The interior call to trust was so strong that I had a sure sense that I would always be forgiven for the rest of my life. All the while I heard in the background the words of Jesus:

‘Come to me all you who are burdened and I will give you rest. Do not fear. Just come as you are. Continue to trust in a forgiving and loving God. Trust those who can help you. Just come and I will be there for you. ‘

 I trace the song back to that experience.

This simplest of pieces, written in the 1970s and published in the 1980s, has continued to be claimed by people as theirs for 30+ years. Somehow its message of God’s unwavering love for the person, winds its way into their hearts and answers a need. You will hear it sung in diverse settings and situations, in churches and schools, in public celebrations like weddings and funerals, at gatherings in prisons and in events in wide open spaces. It speaks of that inner thirst to belong, to be known and accepted as we are, to be comforted and feel secure, to be loved and to love. From the correspondence I have received over these long years, from home and abroad, from friends and strangers alike, I hear stories of the song’s transformative power amid the messiness and distress of their lives. Words such as uplifting, consoling, healing, inclusive, bringing hope, have been shared with me.  Always with an accompanying story.

The song has its story too. It has found its way to USA, Canada, UK and Europe; to Africa, India and parts of Asia, to New Zealand and across Australia.  Who knows where it may have penetrated. Gently it slips into the harsh cracks and crevices of need which all of us experience at one time or another. I know of it being translated into French and Spanish. In the 1990’s it was published in Catholic and Anglican Australian hymnals, delighting me with the ecumenical stretch of the song. Now you yourselves in the Open Table Network tell me of your appreciation. You have used the words ‘come as you are’ on your logo as a statement of welcoming others to your table of inclusivity. And you sing the song at your celebrations. Thank you.

As a composer I would say that the song’s appeal is simply its singability and its strong message of acceptance and forgiveness. The marriage of memorable words to a memorable tune, facilitates this.

Underlying my words I could hear the music of the scriptures. Maybe you will hear your own echoes as you read or sing them, but here are mine:

Verse 1 - ‘Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened… I will give you rest.’ - Matt 11: 28-30.

Come as you are, that’s how I want you.
Come as you are, feel quite at home,
close to my heart, loved and forgiven.
Come as you are, why stand alone?

Verse 2 - ‘God’s steadfast love endures forever.’ - Ps 136:1.

No need to fear, love sets no limits.
No need to fear, love never ends.
Don’t run away, shamed and disheartened,
rest in my love, trust me again.

Verse 3 - ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.’ - Jn 14:27.

I came to call sinners, not just the virtuous.
I came to bring peace, not to condemn.
Each time you fail to live by my promise,
why do you think I’d love you the less?

Verse 4 * - ‘I have come that they may have life and have it to the full’. - Jn10:10.

Go to my people, sit with the broken,
go to my people, stand in their pain.
Let Love transform the darkest of places,
I will be with you, wherever you go.

Verse 5 - ‘I am with you always until the end of time’. - Matt 28:20.

Come as you are, that’s how I love you.
Come as you are, trust me again.
Nothing can change the love that I bear you.
All will be well, just come as you are.

Come As You Are lyrics © Spectrum Publications Pty Ltd, Australia.

The Open Table Network appears, from my reading, to be a place of sharing stories, listening and learning, consoling one another and strengthening your faith for the journey. A place where fears become less fearful, where feelings of unworthiness and isolation, guilt and exclusion, are heard and understood, maybe transformed into goodness, freedom, inclusion.

Come, grow into the fulness of life that God intended for each of us. In such an environment, others too will be impelled to ‘go sit with the broken, stand with their pain’ thus providing the spiritual and emotional sustenance that they so need.

By sharing my own experience, publishing the song, I had no idea of the impact that this little piece would have.

It is my prayer that, in using it in your gatherings and across the network, your community will continue to sing of the wonderful mercies of God’s love as revealed in Christ Jesus. And all to the glory of God

∗ The fourth verse shown here was composed more recently for the profession of vows in religious life in Sr Deirdre Browne's community in Australia. It was performed for the first time in an Open Table community for the 16th birthday celebration of the first Open Table community in Liverpool on Sunday 16th June 2024. WATCH HERE [4 mins with captions].

Open Table Liverpool's music group has made a high quality audio recording of the hymn in this new lyric video: HEAR IT HERE [4mins].