Be Thou My Vision, ELW 793 & WOV 776
1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art:
thou my best thought both by day and by night,
waking or sleeping, they presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tow’r,
raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
3 Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.
4 Light of my soul, after victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Devotion
This hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” is sung to an Irish folk-tune called “Slane.” I have three recollections from my life related to this folk-tune. The first is from high school. My friend and I sang a duet to this tune for the regional Solo and Ensemble music contest. We loved singing that song together! The second is our wedding ceremony at which my husband and I used “Slane” as the processional. Our friends played the piano and oboe. It was beautiful! The third is my nephew’s high school graduation. He sang “Be Thou My Vision” as a solo at his church the morning of graduation. He sang from the heart and it showed! All of these experiences involved a vision for creating something good. How important it is for our young people to have such visions! How important for them to live in God’s love in those visions!
Prayer
Gracious and Holy Trinity, we give thanks to you for loving us into a future with you at our side. Be a creative vision, O God, when the hearts of young people are empty. Be a light, O Christ, when their way seems gray and unclear. Be holy wisdom, O Spirit, when their heads are full of vain ideas. In your Holy-Oneness we pray, Amen.