For that which is Common
"For That Which Is Common" is a devotional hymn of gratitude by Ruth Collie, structured as a litany that repeats its central refrain — "For that which is common, be praised, O Lord!" — after each cluster of blessings enumerated. Rather than petitioning God for extraordinary favors or miracles, the poem inverts the conventional posture of prayer by directing praise toward the ordinary, overlooked textures of daily existence: sunlight and the crispness of morning air, mist, the grey hush of an overcast sky, the night sky's stars, the simple satisfaction of labor undertaken willingly, and the quiet strength of love's bond. Each stanza builds a catalog of small mercies — the clasp of a friend's hand, the skill of fingers that craft and shape, the comfort of home at day's end, the peace that answers spiritual thirst, and even homely details like china and flowers on a table — all offered up as equally worthy of reverence as any grand or miraculous gift. The final movement of the poem widens its scope to the sounds and rhythms of human life across generations: the unguarded laughter of children at play, the renewed lightness of adults whose hearts remain youthful, the alternating "hillocks and valleys" that mark the brief span of a single day (and, by extension, of life itself), the gift of speech and a gentle tongue, and the intrinsic reward found in serving others. Formally, the poem relies on anaphora — the repeated "For..." construction — to create a cumulative, incantatory rhythm reminiscent of psalms or liturgical prayer, while the refrain functions as both punctuation and thesis: gratitude need not wait for the exceptional, because the common itself is sacred. Collie's theology here is one of immanence rather than transcendence — divinity is located not in rupture from ordinary life but within its fabric, in sensory experience (sun, mist, stars), in human relationship (friendship, love, family laughter), in labor and craft, and in the ethic of service. The poem's cumulative structure — moving from nature, to human touch and domestic comfort, to voice and joyful service — suggests a progression from the physical world inward toward human connection and finally toward moral action, with each register treated as equally deserving of praise. The recurring refrain also gives the piece a communal, singable quality, suggesting its likely use or adaptability as a hymn or recitation piece emphasizing thankfulness for everyday grace rather than dramatic providence.
By Ruth Collie · Genre: Religious Poetry, Devotional Literature, Lyric Poetry