When Morning Gilds the Skies, ELW 853 & LBW 545
1 When morning gilds the skies, my heart awaking cries:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
When evening shadows fall, this rings my curfew call:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
2 When mirth for music longs, this is my song of songs:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
God's holy house of prayer has none that can compare
with "Jesus Christ be praised!"
3 No lovelier antiphon in all high heav'n is known
than "Jesus Christ be praised!"
There to the eternal Word the eternal psalm is heard:
oh, Jesus Christ be praised!
4 Let all of humankind in this their concord find;
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Let all the earth around ring joyous with the sound:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
5 Sing, sun and stars of space; sing, all who see his face,
sing "Jesus Christ be praised!"
God's whole creation o'er, today and evermore
shall Jesus Christ be praised!
Devotion
Take a moment to jot down two things: what can I be grateful to God for in the past week? What surprised me?
I often during a sermon will invite people to speak, saying “This is the time you can talk back to the pastor.” It may have caught people off guard at first, but now they take me seriously! In that dialogue, we leave room to be surprised by God’s Spirit.
A famous teacher in prayer once asked God for wonder. We may or may not know the right words of faith, but may we never get cut off from the wonder of following God in Christ Jesus. In living that wonder, a consistent refrain can be, “may Jesus Christ be praised.” And may all creation join this hymn of praise to Christ, who is our Redeemer and our Wonder!
Prayer
Give us wonder all the days of our lives, Holy God. Amen.