“You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore,” ELW 817
1 You have come down to the lakeshore seeking neither the wise nor the wealthy, but only asking for me to follow.
Refrain
Sweet Lord, you have looked into my eyes;
kindly smiling, you've called out my name...
On the sand I have abandoned my small boat;
now with you, I will seek other seas.
2 You know full well what I have, Lord:
neither treasure nor weapons for conquest, just these my fish nets and will for working.
Refrain
Sweet Lord, you have looked into my eyes;
kindly smiling, you've called out my name...
On the sand I have abandoned my small boat;
now with you, I will seek other seas.
3 You need my hands, my exhaustion, working love for the rest of the weary—
a love that's willing to go on loving.
Refrain
Sweet Lord, you have looked into my eyes;
kindly smiling, you've called out my name...
On the sand I have abandoned my small boat;
now with you, I will seek other seas.
4 You who have fished other waters;
you, the longing of souls that are yearning:
O loving Friend, you have come to call me.
Refrain
Sweet Lord, you have looked into my eyes;
kindly smiling, you've called out my name...
On the sand I have abandoned my small boat;
now with you, I will seek other seas.
Devotion
This song has long been a favorite, one that speaks of God’s call on my life that led me into the ministry while in my 50s. I was surprised recently when a mother asked that this song be sung at her teenage son’s funeral. When her son realized he would not win his valiant fight against leukemia, he was at peace, knowing that Christ would come to take him home. What comfort it gave this brave young man to know that his Lord would lovingly call his name and take him to be with Him forever. That is the beauty of our hymns of faith. They speak to us in different ways in the different circumstances of our lives.
Prayer
Gracious Lord, we thank you for the rich gift of sacred hymns that assure us of your constant care and loving presence in our lives. And most especially the promise that you know us by name and will one day call us home to be with you forever. Amen.