Today’s date looks familiar to me.  It is my mom’s birthday.  Born in 1910, she grew up in a world so different from mine. It has been 33 years since she passed on to her heavenly reward.  I have a feeling that she’s still looking down on me, probably shaking her head in despair at times and hopefully pleased at others.  For many years after her death, I placed a single red rose on her gravestone each year on her birthday.  Frequently that was followed by a snowstorm that buried my token.  

As I think of her, I remember her favorite hymn.  She was always so pleased when we sang it during a Sunday service, and she had requested it for her funeral.  Perhaps some of you remember it, perhaps not.   The text was written by Frances R. Havergal (1836-1879) and the tune by Arthur H. Mann (1825-1929.)  It’s included in our red Lutheran Book of Worship, #820.  The first stanza follows:

O Savior, precious Savior, whom yet unseen we love;
O name of might and favor, all other names above;
We worship thee; we bless thee; to thee alone we sing;
We praise thee and confess thee, our holy Lord and King.

It is truly a beautiful song of worship and praise.  Singing it at her funeral, I was especially touched by the fourth stanza:

Oh, grant the consummation of this our song above,
in endless adoration and everlasting love;
then shall we praise and bless thee where perfect praises ring,
and evermore confess thee, our Savior and our king!

Yes Lord, we sing praises to you now, but how much more beautiful will those praises be when we join in the choir of angels!

The rendition below is sung by Kathleen Monson.

Judy