Beautiful Savior (ELW 838, Verse 2)
Devotion
1 Beautiful Savior,
King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I'd love thee,
truly I'd serve thee,
light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
2 Fair are the meadows,
fair are the woodlands,
robed in flow'rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer,
he makes our sorrowing spirit sing.
3 Fair is the sunshine,
fair is the moonlight,
bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
than all the angels in the sky.
4 Beautiful Savior,
Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
praise, adoration,
now and forevermore be thine!
Text: Gesangbuch, Münster, 1677; tr. Joseph A. Seiss, 1823-1904
I went to St. Olaf College and sang in the Viking Chorus, so "Beautiful Savior," traditionally sung at the end of the annual Christmas Fest concert/worship, will always have a place in my heart. But as another summer draws to a close in Minnesota, I'm thinking about this hymn for a different reason. I'm thinking about it because of the way it draws our eyes and our minds out of structures made with human hands. This song calls us to consider meadows and woodlands and spring flowers. It calls us to realize, first of all, that all of these are fair and beautiful. Even more important, though, it calls us to remember that all of creation is God's handiwork, and all of that creation points to the love of God in Jesus Christ. It's not just people who are hoping for the redemption that comes through Jesus, but as Paul reminds us, all creation cries out for that great day.
Prayer
God of meadows and woodlands, help us to see our place in creation and to know that we do not stand apart. Instead, help us to know we stand together with your creation and to call out, "Come, Lord Jesus!" Amen.