Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery (ELW 334, st. 1-3)
1 Tree of Life and awesome myst’ry,
In your death we are reborn
Though you die in all of hist’ry,
Still you rise with ev’ry morn,
Still you rise with ev’ry morn.
2 We remember truth once spoken,
love passed on through act and word;
ev’ry person lost and broken
wears the body of our Lord,
wears the body of our Lord.
3 Christ, you lead and we shall follow,
Stumbling though our steps may be;
One with you in joy and sorrow,
We the river, you the sea,
We the river, you the sea.
Words and music by Marty Haugen
© 1984, GIA Publications, Inc.
Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A730924
Devotion
Biblical traditions use the image of the Tree of Life to depict God’s Wisdom, evident in all creation and revealed in the Torah (God’s law). Early followers of Jesus drew on these connections to affirm that Jesus was indeed not only the Messiah but also the Word and Wisdom of God, who was with God at the dawn of creation.
This Jesus continues to be our Tree of Life, in whose death we are reborn to new life. As we remember the truth and love he embodied, and pass it on through act and word, we wear his body, crucified and raised from the dead, for every lost and broken person. Although we frequently stumble, his is the lead we follow. As our Tree of Life, his truth and love permeate every aspect of our everyday lives, whether we are in joy or in sorrow, as the sea overflows into rivers.
Prayer
O God, permeate every aspect of our daily lives with the truth and love embodied in the name of Jesus. Amen.