As With Gladness Men of Old, ELW 302
1 As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold;
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright,
so, most gracious Lord, may we
evermore be led by Thee!
2 As with joyful steps they sped,
Savior, to thy lowly bed,
there to bend the knee before
thee whom heaven and earth adore,
so may we with willing feet
Ever seek thy mercy seat!
3 As they offered gifts most rare
At thy cradle, rude and bare,
so may we with holy joy,
pure and free from sin's alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav'nly king!
4 Holy Jesus, ev'ry day
Keep us in the narrow way;
and when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds thy glory hide.
5 In the heavenly country bright
need they no created light;
thou its Light, its joy, its crown,
thou its sun which goes not down.
there forever may we sing
alleluias to our king!
Devotion
William C. Dix prays we would be led to Christ by a light as compelling as the star that guided the Magi. What lights have led us to Christ? Certainly not our own. For many of us it was the faith of our parents that took us to the font. For others it was the example of a friend or the counsel of a mentor. For others it is a whole pattern of puzzlement or perplexity that resolves itself only by way of faith. That has played a big part in my own story. Dix prays that God would lead us to Christ, not just once, but again and again, and with joyful steps, willing feet, and holy joy. I thank God for the role of teachers like the late Papa Smits who patiently called me beyond my own diffidence to holy joy.
Prayer
Surprise us this season with your holy joy, O God. Amen.