Music can touch our inner being. It can motivate us, ignite old memories, create new memories.  Music, in all forms, can touch us. Hymns play an important part in my life.  As a young person in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and our Luther League group, we were always learning and memorizing multiple verses of beloved hymns. They are still part of my fond memories.  Newer hymns are introduced and even more contemporary music has found its way into our traditional denomination in the last decade.

Marty Haugen (b. 1950) was attending a family retreat at Holden Village when the Challenger Space Shuttle crashed, January 28, 1986. The attendees, when they did learn of the disaster a few days later, held a service to grieve the loss of the astronauts.  Marty wrote the text for Healer of Our Every Ill to express the feelings of himself and our nation at this tragedy.  The refrain for this hymn speaks volumes to me, in four brief thoughts, a small nutshell encapsulating POWER that our God has gifted us through His son.

Refrain: Healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow. Give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorrow.

“Healer of our every ill” ….that would encompass mental, physical and emotional…every ill

“light of each tomorrow” ….the sun rises every new day, and its light reminds us of God’s light always available in our lives

“give us peace beyond our fear”…human fears bind each of us on our journey through this world and some fears we cannot shake, but He can give us peace beyond any fear we can conjure up for ourselves

“and hope beyond our sorrow”…None of us are given a “free ride” but instead, placing our hope in a God who loves us unconditionally, our sorrow can be comforted, eased and healed.

Four brief, short lines as a refrain following the four verses, speak of God’s limitless POWER.  May you be comforted and healed.  Of course, I am already humming this tune and singing the refrain which fills my heart with POWER.

Jill