Lord, Dismiss Us With Your Blessing, ELW 545 and LBW 259
Devotion
Simeon had been promised he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. When he sees Jesus he bursts into praise, thanking God for keeping that promise. He says, Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace… Simeon can now die in peace.
In this hymn we also burst into praise, thanking God and asking God to dismiss us that we might live with hearts full of joy and peace. That joy and peace is ours because God’s promised savior has been given to us also. Grace has triumphed over sin. We are set free to live in a love relationship with God. When the time comes we, like Simeon, can face our death filled with peace and hope because of God’s promise of salvation through Jesus.
Prayer
Lord, dismiss us with your blessing; fill our hearts with joy and peace. Renew and increase our faith in your promises of help and hope, love and grace, peace and an eternal relationship with you. Amen.