“God Be with You till We Meet Again” (ELW 536)
1 God be with you till we meet again;
by good counsels guide, uphold you,
with a shepherd’s care enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.
Refrain
Till we meet, till we meet, till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.
2 God be with you till we meet again;
holy wings securely hide you,
daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.
Refrain
3 God be with you till we meet again;
when life’s perils thick confound you,
put unfailing arms around you;
God be with you till we meet again.
Devotion
I’ve sung this hymn with choirs and congregations at funerals and other worship services. The refrain is well suited for the funeral of one whose life exhibited discipleship in response to God’s grace; we can just see our loved one “at Jesus’ feet,” and by grace, we anticipate reuniting with them there.
The three hymn verses are also fitting for any time we must be apart from others. As I write, the coronavirus and isolation affect people in different ways, so we pray that God’s “holy wings securely hide” especially our elders, those who are immunocompromised or who live with mental illnesses exacerbated now, health care workers, and others who are struggling. God indeed provides “daily manna”—sustenance—for us, often through one another: an email or card sent, an errand run, a virtual coffee date. “Life’s perils thick confound [us],” especially now. But when we can’t be with one another physically, how comforting that God is always there—and here: guiding and upholding our loved ones and us; enfolding all in loving arms.
Prayer
God, thank you for sheltering us under your holy wings. May all in need feel your presence. Amen.