Children of Heavenly Father (ELW 781)
1 Children of the heav’nly Father safely in his bosom gather;
nestling bird nor star in heaven such a refuge e’er was given.
2 God his own doth tend and nourish, in his holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things he spares them, in his mighty arms he bears them.
3 Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord his children sever;
unto them his grace he showeth, and their sorrows all he knoweth.
4 Though he giveth or he taketh, God his children ne’er forsaketh;
his the loving purpose solely to preserve them pure and holy.
Devotion
As a farm boy growing up in western Ohio, our family worshiped within a German heritage Lutheran congregation that was part of the first American Lutheran Church (ALC 1930) That German heritage continued to influence me in my studies at Capital University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.
But during my internship year in Great Falls, Montana, I learned there were also Scandinavian Lutherans in this country. My life and pastoral ministry were enriched by their faith, heritage, and culture. But I still can’t eat lutefisk!
The first time I remember hearing the Swedish hymn “Children of the Heavenly Father,” written by Carolina Sandell Berg and translated by Ernst Olson, was while attending a funeral. My appreciation for Scandinavian hymnody was born there, and has only soared since.
Look at the words, the nouns, the verbs, the adjectives, and the adverbs. What a tender, gentle, rich understanding God. Thanks be to God for their meaningful and moving witness to so many.
Prayer
Kind and loving God, open our hearts and minds to other peoples, cultures, and music. Grant us grace to listen and be enriched by the music that stirs the hearts and minds of those who differ from us. Grant us to know and accept that each and all of us are children of the Heavenly Father. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.