God of Grace and God of Glory (ELW 705, Verses 1 and 2)
1 God of grace and God of glory,
on your people pour your pow’r,
crown your ancient church’s story;
bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour.
2 Lo! The hosts of evil round us
scorn the Christ, assail his ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the living of these days,
for the living of these days.
Devotion
These words seem written for us today, don’t they? With the war in Ukraine, the lingering pandemic, mass shootings, political polarization, economic turmoil, and many other difficulties, these are challenging days and we need God’s wisdom and courage!
But wait–this is not a new hymn. The author, Harry Emerson Fosdick, knew other challenging days. He was a military chaplain in World War I, survived the Spanish flu epidemic, and was forced to leave a parish because of theological controversy! As he wrote these words in 1930 for the dedication of the Riverside Church in New York, the Great Depression was developing and Hitler was rising to power in Germany.
There will always be difficult “hours” and challenging “days.” We are blessed, however, to know the “God of grace and God of glory,” providing the wisdom and courage that we need to serve as Christ’s people in the world.
Prayer
God of Grace and God of Glory, in these challenging days, free our hearts from the fears that bind us, that we may serve you with faith and praise. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the living of these days. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.