Blest Be the Tie That Binds (ELW 656, Verses 3-4)
3 We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.
4 From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin we shall be free;
and perfect love and friendship reign
through all eternity.
Devotion
With these concluding verses of our hymn for today, our devotions for the week also come full circle. On Monday we spoke of God as a God of relationship. God’s people are formed in creation for community. And God uses our community to witness to the best of God’s love and care for creation. God’s people share their mutual woes in order to share mutual upbuilding. God’s people share their mutual burdens in order to lighten their loads together. God’s people share their griefs in order to cry together.
One of the saddest things I’ve known are congregations that cannot model the reality of a loving community. Some of my most blessed moments have been the expressions of love in true, faith-filled congregations.
Let us together look forward to the final freedom from sorrow, toil, pain, and sin, when perfect love and friendship will reign through all eternity—by the grace of God, who unites us all.
Prayer
God of Community, make us living witnesses to your heavenly reality. Amen.