Archives for September 15, 2019

Devotion

1 Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidd'st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

2 Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

3 Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come,

4 Just as I am; thy love unknown
has broken ev'ry barrier down;
now to be thine, yea, thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Text: Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871

My eldest comes up for communion every single Sunday, even if he does so just to say, "No, thanks, Mom." You see, my son only communes when there's real bread. He nearly lost it when I took a new call and they used wafers. "Mom," he explained in an exasperated tone, "there's no way Jesus would actually be in wafers. Jesus would make something delicious, and wafers are the saddest. The opposite of delicious." (He's not wrong about the taste of wafers! I'll work on his Lutheran theology as he gets older.)

I recently asked him why he comes up even when it's a wafer morning. "Because the songs all say to come. We're supposed to come to the table because we're all welcome and God loves us just the way we are. Even if we don't want a gross wafer."