The Lutheran Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Sunday, 28 June 2015 "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" ELW 631

The Lutheran Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Sunday, 28 June 2015 "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" ELW 631

1. Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav'n, to earth come down!
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter ev'ry trembling heart.
2. Breathe, oh, breathe thy loving Spirit
into ev'ry troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
3. Come, Almighty, to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
4. Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee!
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav'n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise!
"Come, Almighty, to deliver; let us all thy life receive."
The worship texts for this Sunday resonate with our Christianprofession that God's kingdom will someday and in some way come in its fullness; yet still we pray for it to come now, soon! "Come, almighty to deliver; let us all thy life receive!"
There is nothing like danger to quicken one's sense of life, and nothing like deep illness or suffering to quicken our prayers and strengthen our resolve to take drastic action! "Come, almighty to deliver" we pray—on behalf of refugees adrift on the Mediterranean; on behalf of terrified mothers and children fleeing gang violence in Central America; in solidarity with our beloved family and friends wrestling with cancer and with mental illness; with our sisters and brothers enslaved to addictions, or trapped in systemic urban violence. "Come, Almighty to deliver; let us all thy life receive!"
All? "Let us all thy life receive." And who do we imagine is included in this "all?"
Gracious and merciful God, let us all thy life receive—all of us; all whom you sent your Son to deliver. Please include me, too, O God, in your divine "all." Amen.
Chris Kramer
Pastor, Nativity Lutheran Church
Bend, Ore.
Master of Divinity , 2007
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