“My Life Flows On in Endless Song” (ELW 763)
Devotion
My life flows on in endless song;
above earth's lamentation,
I catch the sweet, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.
Refrain
No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I'm clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?
Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear that music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing? Refrain
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth. Refrain
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am his!
How can I keep from singing? Refrain
I wonder what tumult and strife hymn author Robert Lowry was facing in his lifetime. Today in our world we face times of tumult and strife, even though we might not use exactly these words to describe them in our everyday conversations. A tumult is defined as confusion or disorder, while strife is defined as an angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues. If we translate this into how we talk today, then this second verse would probably read as such, "Through all the confusion and angry disagreements, I hear that music ringing..." God's song is what rings clearly over all the noise and anger in this world. Those storms may rage, but God is still our rock and refuge that unites us all. God calls us to sing out the song of Christ into those storms. What is the song of Christ you are being called to sing out today into the world?
Prayer
God of hope, we give you thanks for being present in our lives and the world. Thank you for the song of Christ that sweetly sings through, around and above the storms of this world. Amen.