Take My Life, That I May Be, ELW 685
Devotion
Take my life, that I may be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect and use
ev'ry pow'r as thou shall choose.
Take my will and make it thine,
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own,
it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
In order to orientate foreigners for residence in North America, L. Robert Kohls and his staff at the United States Information Agency prepared a groundbreaking article, "The Values Americans Live By." Kohls felt that visitors to the US needed to understand "common American values," which would allow them to integrate more fully into the predominant cultural currents. "The Values Americans Live By" highlighted numerous ideals that most (but not all) US citizens possess, as a way of building awareness and cross-cultural understanding.
Among the topics covered by Kohls was the importance of time. He noted that people from the US often conceive of time in ways far different from others around the world. Kohls observes strikingly, "Time is, for the average American, of utmost importance...It may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists..."
As we ask God to "take my moments and my days, let them flow in endless praise," we might well recall the words of Mother Teresa: "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." In other words, we are encouraged not to allow time to manage us, and not to make predetermined plans a highe
Prayer
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us begin. Amen.