LBW 448; ELW 779, “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound”
1 Amazing grace! — how sweet the sound —
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
2 ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me;
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
5 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Devotion
Psalm 23 is well-known among Jews as well as Christians. Some songs, such as “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound” are likewise familiar. It reminds me of the time during my seminary training when I worked in a long-term care facility. Every week during worship, one of the elderly residents would request an old standard like this. Its message is profound, yet its words are simple. The third verse reads: “Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.”
Perhaps it is this combination of simple but deeply meaningful lyrics that make classic hymns like this preferred over many newer hymns. These tried-and-true standards are definitely gifts from God that help us connect with one another and our collective past.
Prayer
God, we sometimes run to the newest, brightest, freshest ideas in place of you. Help us not throw out what we've learned works, but help us to integrate our past with our future. Amen.