Tuesday, April 2, 2024  

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Today's Hymn
“O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”

Christ speaks, and listening to his voice
new life the dead receive;
the mournful waken to rejoice;
the poor in heart believe.

My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.

by Charles Wesley
Hymn 610, Glory to God
verse 3–4

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Reflection

In the mid-1700s, Charles Wesley penned this text and prayed, “My gracious Master and My God, assist me to proclaim, to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy name.” To proclaim the honors of Christ’s name is a robust prayer.

My grandfather used to say, “I don’t like to talk about my faith, I let my actions preach for me.” Integrity between faith and actions is a good thing. And my grandfather was a man of greater integrity than I, but, even so, I wonder if he was a bit overconfident in the clarity of his actions. Sometimes a word needs to be spoken.

Have you ever put your faith into words? It’s not the easiest thing. I understand. I feel that way most Sunday mornings. But I have learned something over the years. When it comes to talking about our faith, the thing that matters most is to be honest. You don’t have to be right. The truth is, when it comes to talking about God, being right is never something we can be sure of. But we can be honest.

If you have listened to more than a few sermons of mine, you have probably heard me say, “If I understand the text.” It is a reminder to myself that I may or may not understand the word of God for this moment, but I’ll try to be honest about what I have learned from the scripture.

So, remember my grandfather and his lesson on the importance of our deeds. But remember the prayer of Wesley and know that sometimes we just need to say what we believe. In that moment, just be honest. If you do that, it will be enough to honor Christ’s name.

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Prayer
God of love, let my words this day be words of love, that you may be heard in my speech. In Christ’s name. Amen.

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Written by Tom Are Jr., Interim Pastor

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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