"The God Pause Daily Devotional" The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Saturday, 2 July 2016 "I Love to Tell the Story" (ELW 661)
1. I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story,
because I know it's true;
it satisfies my longings
as nothing else would do.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story;
'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
2. I love to tell the story:
how pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it,
more wonderfully sweet!
I love to tell the story,
for some have never heard
the message of salvation
from God's own holy word.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story;
'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
3. I love to tell the story,
for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting
to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
I'll sing the old, old story
that I have loved so long.
I love to tell the story;
'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
3. I love to tell the story,
for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting
to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
I'll sing the old, old story
that I have loved so long.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story;
'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
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I grew up hearing old timers sing this song with gusto. I imagined it was a hymn for people of great age with a lot of stories to tell. Oh, and it must have been written for extroverts because, obviously, it takes human interaction to tell a story. And of course it was written for Sunday school teachers and church professionals who know enough about Jesus to talk about him all day.
Verse three reminds us the story of Jesus is extremely personal: "For those who know it best/seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest." This is a song written for the singer, a reminder that there is no person perfectly suited to tell the story of Jesus; there are only people who need to hear it. We need each other to tell us the story of Jesus every day--because we hunger and thirst for it.
You who gave birth to music, bless us with your song every day. Bring it to us and draw it out of us until the whole world knows the words. In the name of Jesus we sing. Amen.
Jill Bergman
Associate Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Columbia Heights, Minn.
Master of Divinity, 2003
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I love to tell the story;
'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
-------
I grew up hearing old timers sing this song with gusto. I imagined it was a hymn for people of great age with a lot of stories to tell. Oh, and it must have been written for extroverts because, obviously, it takes human interaction to tell a story. And of course it was written for Sunday school teachers and church professionals who know enough about Jesus to talk about him all day.
Verse three reminds us the story of Jesus is extremely personal: "For those who know it best/seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest." This is a song written for the singer, a reminder that there is no person perfectly suited to tell the story of Jesus; there are only people who need to hear it. We need each other to tell us the story of Jesus every day--because we hunger and thirst for it.
You who gave birth to music, bless us with your song every day. Bring it to us and draw it out of us until the whole world knows the words. In the name of Jesus we sing. Amen.
Jill Bergman
Associate Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Columbia Heights, Minn.
Master of Divinity, 2003
---------------------
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