Hear Us Now, Our God and Father (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 585)
1 Hear us now, our God and Father,
Send your Spirit from above
On this Christian man and woman
Who here make their vows of Love!
Bind their hearts in true devotion
Endless as the seashore’s sands,
Boundless as the deepest oceans,
Blest and sealed by your own hands.
2 Give them joy to lighten sorrow!
Give them hope to brighten life!
Go with them to face the morrow,
Stay with them in every strife.
As your word has promised, ever
Fill them with your strength and grace,
So that each may serve the other
Till they see you face to face.
3 May the grace of Christ, our Savior,
And the Father’s boundless love,
With the Holy Spirit’s favor
Rest upon them from above.
Thus may they abide in union
With each other and the Lord,
And possess in sweet communion
Joys which earth cannot afford.
Text:, Harry N. Huxhold, John Newton; Music: Rowland H. Prichard
Devotion
The second verse of this hymn—“Give them joy to lighten sorrow, give them hope to brighten life”—reminds newlyweds and all couples that relationships are part of real life in community. As much as movies often sugarcoat human relationships, in fact there can often be sorrow mixed in them. The promise and plea of the next lines is a reminder we are not alone in relationship when bad times and struggles come: “Go with them to face the morrow, stay with them in every strife. As your word has promised, ever fill them with your strength and grace, so that each may serve the other till they see you face to face.”
Being reminded and realizing that God in Jesus is with us in relationship gives us the courage to work on those relationships. We discover even in relationships God is always present with us, encouraging us in the challenging times, the boring times, and the celebratory times.
Prayer
O God, thank you for accompanying us in all our relationships. May we each share the love God has for us in every time and place. In Jesus’ name, Amen.