There's a Wideness in God's Mercy (ELW 588)
Devotion
1 There's a wideness in God's mercy,
like the wideness of the sea;
there's a kindness in God's justice
which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth's sorrows
are more felt than up in heav'n.
There is no place where earth's failings
have such kindly judgment giv'n.
2 There is welcome for the sinner,
and a promised grace made good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in his blood.
There is grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this;
there is room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss.
3 For the love of God is broader
than the measures of our mind;
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
But we make this love too narrow
by false limits of our own;
and we magnify its strictness
with a zeal God will not own.
4 'Tis not all we owe to Jesus;
it is something more than all:
greater good because of evil,
larger mercy through the fall.
Make our love, O God, more faithful;
let us take you at your word,
and our lives will be thanksgiving
for the goodness of the Lord.
Text: Frederick W. Faber, 1814-1863, alt.
At the ELCA Churchwide Assembly we had the honor of participating as Bishop Eaton welcomed dozens of interreligious partners to the stage. Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Christians gathered to celebrate our unity and shared purpose of working for justice and peace. God's mercy is wide enough to work through all these faithful people despite our differences.
Sometimes we try to put limits on God's love in the name of good order. We want to control who receives communion or gets married or serves as a pastor. These decisions are important and helpful in shaping our communities, but they can also trick us into thinking we are in charge of who is in and who is out. Scripture constantly challenges us to widen all our boundaries. As a church we get to live out the wideness of God's mercy by welcoming our interfaith partners in shared ministries, by welcoming children at the communion table, and by welcoming sinners into our congregations.
Prayer
God of all people, thank you for the blessings of our varied church! Help us work together in harmony for the good of all people. Help us share your love with those who are different from us. Amen.