LBW 415 “God of Grace and God of Glory"
Devotion
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.
Cure your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss your kingdom’s goal, Lest we miss your kingdom’s goal.
In this great hymn, Harry Emerson Fosdick calls us to a biblical way of living in troubled and stressful times. It is a call to God to shower us with the insight, discernment and desire to live our Christian faith in our world, taking the world seriously as God’s arena of concern.
We ask God for the wisdom and courage for the facing of this hour, which for us today is a time of threat and uncertainty. It is easy to “spiritualize” our faith and ignore the world. But this is God’s world and we are called to be God’s agents of love, peace, justice and reconciliation. Many voices call us to abandon the biblical message of grace, justice and peace and to retreat into a religion of exclusion, anger, war and judgment. This hymn can help remind us of the real meaning of living as a Christian in troubled times.
Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for reminding us that we are called to live by grace and to work for love, justice and peace in our world. We ask for your guidance and power as we go forth. In Jesus name. Amen.