God Pause for Saturday, 9/27/2014
/Luther Seminary God Pause
Saturday, 9/27/2014 Hymn: "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," ELW 807
Come, thou Fount of ev'ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. While the hope of endless glory fills my heart with joy and love, teach me ever to adore thee; may I still thy goodness prove.
Here I raise my Ebenezer: "Hither by thy help I've come"; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand'ring from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be; let that grace now like a fetter bind my wand'ring heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.>
"Here I raise my Ebenezer." Here I raise my what? Robert Robinson, who wrote the lyrics to this hymn in 1758, based this reference on a line from 1 Samuel 7:12. "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'" (NRSV)
Samuel set up this "stone of help" as a reminder for the people of Israel that amidst the wars and mayhem of their day, it is the Lord from whom every blessing flows. Consequently, this hymn invites us to ask along with Samuel, what today reminds you about the bounty of God's goodness? What is your Ebenezer?
As we sing this hymn, may we be reminded today and every day that although danger and turmoil exist, God is the fount of every blessing. Although temptation and evil exist, God is the fount of every blessing. Although suffering and injustice exist, God is the fount of every blessing.
Come, though fount of every blessing, tune our hearts to sing praises to you. Amen.>
Nate Bendorf Pastor of Youth and Family at Calvary Lutheran Church, Bemidji, Minn. Master of Divinity, 2013
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