Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart (ELW 800)
1 Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
stoop to my weakness, strength to me impart,
and make me love you as I ought to love.
2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
no angel visitant, no op’ning skies;
but take the dimness of my soul away.
3 Have you not bid me love you, God and King;
all, all your own, soul, heart and strength and mind?
I see your cross; there teach my heart to cling.
Oh, let me seek you and, oh, let me find!
4 Teach me to love you as your angels love,
one holy passion filling all my frame:
the baptism of the heav’n-descended dove,
my heart an altar and your love the flame.
Devotion
“My heart and altar and your love the flame”
A recent email:
Tom, It happens every year. The mass exodus. Summer starts and so do vacations, camping trips, and long periods of time where people simply don’t show up to church. Why don’t visitors and church members show up? It’s not what you think…You see, most churches lack clear communication. And sure, your church communicates… But “communicating” is different than having a solid plan for communicating….
No doubt, well intentioned, but really?
Since the day of Pentecost—and for that matter, since “the beginning”—God has been communicating with us in ways that might get our attention. Finally, God came as “one of us” to share life with us, to walk in our shoes, and to know us, really know us, even to the point of offering his life for us. And then, miracle of miracles, this Jesus rose from the dead (Easter) and now communicates with us through the fire and wind of the Spirit! (Pentecost)
Prayer
All we need to do is wait, watch, and pray…”Come, Holy Spirit, descend upon my heart!” Oh, and you may need to hold on to your hats for the “Day of the big Wind!” Amen.