Holy, Holy, Holy, ELW 413
1 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert and art, and evermore shalt be.
3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinfulness thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in pow'r, in love and purity.
4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Devotion
We played “king of the mountain” when I was a kid. It’s a game to keep control of a pile of dirt, sand or gravel while others try to knock you off “the top of the heap.” Little did we know that this game of jockeying for position and comparing ourselves to others would continue throughout life.
Church life is no exception, of course. We compare ourselves to one another in our congregations, from who makes the best lefse to who influences decisions most powerfully to who preaches the best sermons.
This week, we read about Isaiah’s call to be a prophet and Peter’s call to be a disciple. Both of them felt unworthy, not by comparing themselves to someone else, but by encountering God.
“Holy, holy, holy ... there is none beside thee.” Next to God, our sinfulness is painfully evident. Yet God is merciful to us—all of us—and frees us to serve.
There’s little need for churchly games of “king of the mountain” when we can join together and sing, “Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity!”
Prayer
Gracious Triune God, help us to praise you with our whole lives and serve graciously with each other. Amen.