“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 hymn and the differing versions of Charles Wesley's text have sometimes been associated with controversy occasioned by differing theological points of view. While the theological debates may have some validity—it is a key point to note that the hymn depicts all of us through the lens of Martin Luther's simul justus et peccator—we are all saints and sinners, and through Christ's death and resurrection we are redeemed and given the promise of resurrection on the last day.
Knowing that we are indeed a new creation in and through Christ's death and resurrection, we now live with hope and trust in that very promise. We experience God's grace and love in all the ups and downs and in-betweens of our lives. This hymn's words and message are echoed in the final sentence, a prayer I pray with our boys every night: "Thank you Jesus, most of all, for loving me, no matter what."
Prayer
Ever-loving God, your love goes beyond life and death through your Son Jesus. Let your love envelop our daily lives, so that we may experience the joy that only comes from you. Thank you Jesus, most of all, for loving me, no matter what. Amen.