“Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer,” ELW 618
1 Guide me ever, great Redeemer, pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but you are mighty; hold me with your pow'rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore, evermore, feed me now and evermore.
2 Open now the crystal fountain where the healing waters flow; let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv'rer, strong deliv'rer, shield me with your mighty arm, mighty arm, shield me with your mighty arm.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; death of death and hell's destruction, land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs and praises, songs and praises I will raise forevermore, evermore, I will raise forevermore.
Devotion
At the risk of over-simplifying, there are two sorts of hymns in the "Hope, Assurance" section of the book (a.k.a. "funeral hymns"). There are the "let me rest my weary bones" tunes and the "rise up and get moving" marches.
William Williams (1717-1791), the "sweet songster" of Wales, bequeathed to us a gem of the latter sort. You just know that "Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer" is traveling music, not slumber Muzak.
Which is why this is funeral hymn can set our feet a-moving on any day of our lives. And isn't that the best sort of "funeral hymn," one that can effortlessly accompany us and lead us from our daily drowning and rising again with Christ into the hurly-burly of life as we know it?
This traveling music has a resurrection beat, walking in step with the "death of death," the Savior who is responsible for "hell's destruction."
Prayer
I know not what this day will bring, but I know You are walking with me. Whether or not today ends up being my last day, "bid my anxious fears subside." In Jesus' name, Amen.