Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary's God Pause "Moved by the Promise" for Saturday, 26 July 2014 "Gather Us In" ELW 532

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary's God Pause "Moved by the Promise" for Saturday, 26 July 2014 "Gather Us In" ELW 532
1. Here in this place new light is streaming,
now is the darkness vanished away;
see in this space our fears and our dreamings
brought here to you in the light of this day.
Gather us in, the lost and forsaken,
gather us in, the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken,
we shall arise at the sound of our name.
2. We are the young, our lives are a mystery,
we are the old who yearn for your face;
we have been sung throughout all of history,
called to be light to the whole human race.
Gather us in, the rich and the haughty,
gather us in, the proud and the strong;
give us a heart, so meek and so lowly,
give us the courage to enter the song.
3. Here we will take the wine and the water,
here we will take the bread of new birth,
here you shall call your sons and your daughters,
call us anew to be salt for the earth.
Give us to drink the wine of compassion,
give us to eat the bread that is you;
nourish us well, and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy and hearts that are true.
4. Not in the dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven, light years away—
here in this place the new light is shining,
now is the kingdom, and now is the day.
Gather us in and hold us forever,
gather us in and make us your own;
gather us in, all peoples together,

fire of love in our flesh and our bone.
This quintessential gathering song is a snapshot of all who gather to worship our awesome God. It tells why we gather, depicts who gathers, and what we receive in worship from our loving Lord. It is true that we bring our fears and dreams before the Lord. But the awesome thing is that we know it is ultimately God who gathers us. He is not only the reason for gathering, but He is also the agent behind our gathering. He gathers the young and the old, the lost and forsaken, the blind and the lame, the rich and the poor, the proud and the strong. And for what reason: so that we can be a light for the world and the salt of the earth. We are fed, nourished, given new hearts, the wine of compassion, and the bread that is nothing less than Jesus himself. God does all of this so that we may live and lead holy lives.
Lord, thank you for gathering us to be your people and sending us forth nourished to be light for the world. Amen.
Sean Forde
Port Saint Lucie, Fla. 
Master of Divinity , 2005
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