We Are Called, ELW 720
Come! Live in the light!
Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord!
We are called to be light for the kingdom,
to live in the freedom of the city of God.
We are called to act with justice,
we are called to love tenderly;
we are called to serve one another,
to walk humbly with God.
Come! Open your heart!
Show your mercy to all those in fear!
We are called to be hope for the hopeless
so hatred and blindness will be no more.
We are called to act with justice,
we are called to love tenderly;
we are called to serve one another,
to walk humbly with God.
Sing! Sing a new song!
Sing of that great day when all will be one!
God will reign, and we'll walk with each other
as sisters and brothers united in love.
We are called to act with justice,
we are called to love tenderly;
we are called to serve one another,
to walk humbly with God.
Devotion
Come! Live in the light! This celebratory, gracious invitation to love and service rings throughout this joyfully waltzing hymn. It reminds us that when we give of ourselves, we are doing it out of trust, faith and hope. Too often we see the call to service and stewardship as one of mindless requirement; the song is more of a dirge than a waltz.If the call to love and service incites a sense of dread, you’re probably not hearing the right call!
There are indeed a variety of reasons to give of yourself: necessity, obligation, self-importance and more. Generally, those aren’t the right ones. The right reason is simply because we are called. Because we can. Because we are invited to. Because all things are won for us through Christ, so all things are ours to share in gratitude and abundance. This hymn reminds us that God will reign, no matter what we do; therefore, there is no fear. There is no “have to.” There is only “get to.” There is only joy!
Prayer
God, our ruler and our joy, may we always hear your call to love and service. Help us to move past our own sense of requirement and into your promise of abundant life. Amen.