Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, ELW 631
Devotion
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav'n, to earth come down!
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter ev'ry trembling heart.
Breathe, oh, breathe thy loving Spirit
into ev'ry troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty, to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee!
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav'n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise!
This marvelous hymn speaks of our promised consolation and rest in Christ. God is at work in us all. The hearts and minds of those who give and support various ministries have been fashioned through the journey of faith they have lived thus far. Yet each of us also has obstacles that get in the way of the best expressions of our devotion. The words of verse two are indeed a most poignant reminder—"take away our love of sinning!" That's the paradox in our lives that the Apostle Paul also addresses—our loves are not always the most noble. In that regard we are truly a lost people at times. But our Good Shepherd seeks us out, and while it is uncomfortable to be among the lost, how wonderful it is to look and feel ourselves as ones who have been found, and who are now lost in the blessings of wonder, love, and praise.
Prayer
Creator God, continue your creating work in the hearts and minds of the faithful that we may delight that we have found favor through your Son, Jesus Christ, and that we also cherish the gift that it is to be lost in wonder, love, and praise. Amen.