Hymn o' the Week

This is our closing hymn this coming Sunday. It is a newer hymn written by Rev. Richard Resch, cantor at Concordia, Ft. Wayne. When I read the text of this hymn I remember sitting in class with Dr. Norman Nagle and hearing him tell the class, "Gospel talk is gift talk." And gift language overflows in this hymn. The hymn is placed in the Baptismal Life section of Lutheran Service Book and when we sing this hymn we can see how our life is blessed through the gifts of God that come to us in the font, in the Word, in the absolution, in the Feast.

602 The Gifts Christ Freely Gives

1 The gifts Christ freely gives
He gives to you and me
To be His Church, His bride,
His chosen, saved and free!
Saints blest with these rich gifts
Are children who proclaim
That they were won by Christ
And cling to His strong name.

2 The gifts flow from the font
Where He calls us His own;
New life He gives that makes
Us His and His alone.
Here He forgives our sins
With water and His Word;
The triune God Himself
Gives pow’r to call Him Lord.

3 The gifts of grace and peace
From absolution flow;
The pastor’s words are Christ’s
For us to trust and know.
Forgiveness that we need
Is granted to us there;
The Lord of mercy sends
Us forth in His blest care.

4 The gifts are there each day
The holy Word is read;
God’s children listen, hear,
Receive, and they are fed.
Christ fills them with Himself,
Blest words that give them life,
Restoring and refreshing
Them for this world’s strife.

5 The gifts are in the feast,
Gifts far more than we see;
Beneath the bread and wine
Is food from Calvary.
The body and the blood
Remove our ev’ry sin;
We leave His presence in
His peace, renewed again.

6 All glory to the One
Who lavishes such love;
The triune God in love
Assures our life above.
His means of grace for us
Are gifts He loves to give;
All thanks and praise for His
Great love by which we live!