“O God, My Faithful God,” ELW 806
1 O God, my faithful God, true foundation ever flowing, without whom nothing is, all perfect gifts bestowing: give me a healthy frame, and may I have within a conscience free from blame, a soul unstained by sin.
2 Give me the strength to do with ready heart and willing whatever you command, my calling here fulfilling--to do it when I ought, with all my might--and bless whatever I have wrought, for you must give success.
3 Keep me from saying words that later need recalling; guard me, lest idle speech may from my lips be falling; but when, within my place, I must and ought to speak, then to my words give grace, lest I offend the weak.
4 When dangers gather round, oh, keep me calm and fearless; help me to bear the cross when life seems dark and cheerless; help me, as you have taught, to love both great and small, and, by your Spirit's might, to live at peace with all.
Devotion
“Give me the strength to do with ready heart and willing whatever you command, my calling here fulfilling.”
Vocation is a topic often discussed on our college campus. We ask big questions like, “Who am I? What is the meaning of life? What is my calling in life?” And it is not just the students who ask these questions. Faculty and staff regularly join the conversation.
Martin Luther’s writing on vocation helps us. He saw all the baptized as called by God, no matter what their occupation. So the focus of daily life was to serve God by being a faithful family member, a competent worker, a teacher to the younger ones and a just and compassionate person. Likewise, as a college community, we encourage all to pay attention to what is tugging at their soul, to what makes their heart sing, to what brings about peace and justice for all. That is the heart of God’s calling.
Prayer
Inviting God, in baptism you woo us into a relationship. You call us to faithful living. Give us grace to hear your voice and to follow you always. Amen.