Songs of Thankfulness and Praise, ELW #310
1 Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise;
Manifested by the star To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David's stem In the birth at Bethlehem:
Anthems be to thee addressed, God in flesh made manifest.
2 Manifest at Jordan's stream, Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana wedding guest In thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine, Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to thee addressed, God in flesh made manifest.
3 Manifest in making whole Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight, Quelling all the devil's might;
Manifest in gracious will, Ever bringing good from ill:
Anthems be to thee addressed, God in flesh made manifest.
4 Grant us grace to see thee, Lord, Present in thy holy Word;
Grace to imitate thee now And be pure, as pure art thou;
That we might become like thee At thy great epiphany,
And may praise thee, ever blest, God in flesh made manifest.
Devotion
Once God has been made manifest to you, how do you respond? Do you fall on your knees? Beg for forgiveness? Vow to change your life? Give thanks? Run away? Weep? Cry out with joy?
The hymnwriter offers two suggestions: first, to worship God right now, with songs of praise and prayers for God’s continued presence. This can happen within the context of Sunday morning church services, but that’s not the only place it should happen. You can worship God anywhere – in your car, around the dinner table, walking in the park, as you’re preparing for the day.
And the second suggestion: to tell God’s story. Talk about how you see God in the world, in Scripture and in your own life. Be bold and confident. When God’s word goes out, it never returns empty. There’s a lot to share!
How will you worship God today? And how will your words and actions show others that God is worth worshipping?
Prayer
With Christians around the world, Lord Jesus, I lift my voice in praise to you. Hear my song and accept my worship. Amen.