LBW #383, “Rise Up, O Saints of God!”
Devotion
So about such passion ...
Certainly there is always the risk that people might look at us. “Rise up ... speak out.” These are not common acts for our family of faith, at least in this culture. Folks might talk! Remember how things got out of hand on that first Pentecost when the disciples were accused of drinking? We run the risk of being associated with those other branches of the church Catholic.
Our Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson has asked, “Is the ELCA in a state of anxiety, or does it have a sense of urgency for mission?” There is a difference. What would “urgency” look like? Perhaps something like verse 5 in “Rise Up, O Saints of God”:
“Commit your hearts to seek
The paths which Christ has trod
And quickened by the Spirit’s power,
Rise up, O saints of God!”
Prayer
Dearest Lord, stir us, strengthen us and send us. Amen.
Verse extracted from "Rise Up, O Saints of God!" text by Norman Forness, printed in the "Lutheran Book of Worship 1978." Copyright Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission.