“On Our Way Rejoicing!” (ELW 537)
Devotion
On our way rejoicing
gladly let us go.
Christ our Lord has conquered;
vanquished is the foe.
Christ without, our safety;
Christ within, our joy;
who, if we be faithful,
can our hope destroy?
Refrain
On our way rejoicing;
as we forward move,
hearken to our praises,
O blest God of love!
Unto God the Father
joyful songs we sing;
unto God the Savior
thankful hearts we bring;
unto God the Spirit
bow we and adore,
on our way rejoicing
now and evermore. Refrain
As our time clock at Malmstrom approached four years, I knew the assignment clock was also ticking. My Chaplain School boss was now in charge of all Air Force chaplain assignments. He called me from San Antonio one day, "Keith, I'd like you to come work for me again." Now that would definitely be a step up the career ladder, almost ensuring I would make Colonel! Instead, with visions of the Northern Lights still dancing in our heads, I told him, "Sir, if you really want to know where we'd like to go next, it is back to Alaska."
With his full support and with God's working this time in less mysterious and more miraculous ways (let's just say there was a long list of more qualified volunteers for this job), 2009 saw us "on the road again"—on the ALCAN highway, that is. With apologies for a slight word change in the refrain of today's hymn, we sang, "On our way rejoicing, as we North-ward move; hearken to our praises, O blest God of love." Amen!
Prayer
Lord God, help us to know in each step our journeys, surprising or not, your hand is leading us and giving us cause to be on our way rejoicing at the new ventures you hold in store for us. Amen.