O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing, ELW 386
Devotion
It was the Saturday morning after Easter. I was about nine years old. I would much rather have been watching cartoons at home than attending my church’s weekly choir school. But the hymn we learned that morning got my attention. Unlike most hymns, this one told a story, verse by verse. Singing the story slowed it down and gave me time to ponder what it must have been like for Thomas and the others to encounter the resurrected Christ. I vividly remember feeling goose bumps as our children’s choir sang the story.
Today the haunting "alleluia" refrain that begins and ends this hymn continues to remind us that Easter is as much a contemplation of a deep mystery as it is a festive celebration of life. This ancient hymn still gives me chills.
Prayer
Most gracious and loving God, give us the grace to enter the story of your Son’s resurrection slowly and deeply. Allow us to savor the mystery of death brought to life. Whether we best identify with Thomas "before" or "after," lead us to boldly confess Jesus as "My Lord and my God!" Amen.