Be Thou My Vision,
ELW 793
1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art:
thou my best thought both by day and by night,
waking or sleeping, they presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tow’r,
raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
3 Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.
4 Light of my soul, after victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Devotion
Jim Collins remarks in Built to Last that “vision” is one of the most overused and least understood words in contemporary leadership culture. Often we speak of casting vision without a sense of purpose or discernment of what we will measure that vision against.
This hymn reminds us that our vision isn’t a “what,” but rather a “who;” that Christ is to be our vision, the lens through which we see our goals and plans. Christ is to be the lens through whom we view our neighbors, church, family and the world.
When we see the world as Christ’s disciples, protected by God’s promises, and keeping God first in our heart, then our lives and goals come into focus. We can move forward into God’s future capable of hope in the midst of trial, seeing opportunity in loss and giving thanks for the abundance that God has given us.
Prayer
Be thou our vision, be the Lord of our hearts, that we might see your world through new a new lens. Grant us the vision to see others as you see them, to put our lives in proper perspective and keep our hope in you. In Christ our, life and light, Amen.