“Here I Am, Lord” (ELW 574)
We cannot publish the text for today’s hymn due to copyright limitations. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Watch “Here I Am, Lord” on YouTube
Devotion
This hymn was an unforgettable part of my Luther Seminary commencement service, underscored by the rich music of the pipe organ and the soaring voices of the large congregation. The melody, the lyrics, and God’s pressing question—“I have heard my people cry. Whom shall I send?” (Isaiah 6:8)—continue to echo in my memory year after year.
The Exodus story begins with the cries of slaves and babies, emphasizing the God who listens to the cries of the least considered and the most vulnerable. Isaiah reminds us that this God not only hears those cries but also asks, “Whom shall I send?”
This question invites us to join in discerning and encouraging those whom God has prepared for such a time as this. Whom is God calling to respond to the cries of our least considered and most vulnerable neighbors?
Prayer
O Lord, help us to love singing this question and living it out as your primary responders. Amen.