Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 836)
1 Joyful, joyful we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love!
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before thee,
praising thee, their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
drive the gloom of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day.
2 All thy works with joy surround thee,
earth and heav’n reflect thy rays,
stars and angels sing around thee,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird, and flowing fountain
call us to rejoice in thee.
3 Thou art giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living,
ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother,
all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine!
Text: Henry van Dyke; Music: Ludwig van Beethoven; Public Domain
Devotion
The conclusion of today’s hymn, used like yesterday’s at our wedding, prays: “Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.” In these days of polarization and turmoil, how important love is! Dr. Martin Luther King reminded us all: “Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”
Notice especially the verb. The writer asks God to “teach” us how to love each other. The writer points out that love is not something that simply happens. Rather, it requires learning and practicing. And, as the hymn implies, only God can teach us the meaning and the cost of love. As we learn to love, we experience the great reward of love. Finally, the passage concludes by asking God to lift us above our human experience and give us the joy that comes only from God. May we all learn from the Great Teacher how to love more fully!
Prayer
God of love, you invite us to follow you into lives of love. Teach us, and lift us up to the great joy that you have in store for us. Amen.