Thy Holy Wings (ELW 613)
1 Thy holy wings, O Savior,
spread gently over me,
and let me rest securely
through good and ill in thee.
Oh, be my strength and portion,
my rock and hiding place,
and let my ev’ry moment
be lived within thy grace
2 Oh, let me nestle near thee,
within thy downy breast
where I will find sweet comfort
and peace within thy nest.
Oh, close thy wings around me
and keep me safely there,
for I am but a newborn
and need thy tender care.
3 Oh, wash me in the waters
of Noah’s cleansing flood.
Give me a willing spirit,
a heart both clean and good.
Oh, take into thy keeping
thy children great and small,
and while we sweetly slumber,
enfold us one and all.
Devotion
I love this hymn any day we sing it in church, but for me it is also just about the best canoeing song ever. At the end of a long day of paddling and portaging, when the wind dies and the lake begins to turn to glass, when the canoe slips gently through the water in the late afternoon sun, when suddenly all seems right with the world, the words and melody of this beautiful Swedish hymn often surround my soul.
Perhaps it evokes a feminine image of God that is every bit as compelling as the typically male image conjured up by the thought of a good shepherd. It reminds us that God is our companion, our protector, one who calls us by name and leads to a place of safety and rest. It is the image of peace in a world which sometimes gets way too crazy.
Prayer
Mothering God, provide for us a place where we know for sure we are loved and cared for. Amen.