God of Grace and God of Glory, ELW 705
1 God of grace and God of glory,
on your people pour your pow’r;
crown your ancient church’s story;
bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grand us courage
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour.
2 Lo! The hosts of evil round us
scorn the Christ, assail his ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grand us courage
for the living of these days,
for the living of these days.
3 Cure your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grand us courage,
lest we miss your kingdom’s goal,
lest we miss your kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation
to the evils we deplore;
let the gift of your salvation
be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
serving you whom we adore,
serving you whom we adore.
Devotion
“…Shame our wanton, selfish gladness, rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, lest we miss your kingdom’s goal…”
I do not know who first coined the term “affluenza” to describe the disease of having too much and still wanting more. I just know that it is every bit as real a sickness as cancer or diabetes. It is probably even more prevalent in our society. We are even called “consumers,” as if that were the truest thing about us. Like a plague of locusts or a rafter-ful of termites. This is not the identity I want to claim for myself. This is not how I want to be known. Yet look how rich I am in “things.”
“Free us… Cure us… Save us,” the hymn-writer prays. Yes, indeed! We need to learn stewardship, in the fullest sense of the word, or else we will consume ourselves and our world into an early grave. It will take wisdom and it will take courage to let go of things. Take them out of your shopping cart. God will provide.
Prayer
God of Wisdom, the things we do not need cost so much, yet the things we do need are offered for free. How can we be so foolish? Nurture my soul so that I may be rich where it counts: in love, in faith, in hope and in joy. Then I will have all that I need. Amen.