New Hymns for the Lectionary
All Saints’ Day - Gospel
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Do Not Forget Your God
TEXT: Mark Ryman (2004) based on Luke 6:20-31.
TUNE: “Festal Song” by William H. Walter (1894).

Do not forget your God
as you live out your days.
You are poor as the poorest soul
when you deny God praise.

Do not forget your God
when you think riches best,
for even when you think you’re poor
you’ll find that you are blessed.

Do not forget your God
when you have lost your friends.
For God above came low to you—
the means of all our ends.

Do not forget your God
when all speak well of you.
You don’t deserve a blessed thing;
(if only people knew!)

Do not forget your God,
who gave his life away.
You too must learn to act like Christ
or risk going astray.

The Lesson - Luke 20:27-38

       How Christians cling to favorite doctrines. Proof of the faultiness of one’s views is the arrogance (though it is rarely recognized as arrogance) of holding them over the heads of inferiors (though one would insist s/he is humble). Millennial, tribulational, sacramental, election, free will, and worship style — to name a few — divide congregations and denominations.
       To be sure, being correct in some doctrines is vital. But is it vital to be correct when it is not a matter of salvation? Should one insist on being right if the result were to divide the Church? Jesus always has a strange answer for those who insist too loudly or cockily on their positions. Read the lesson and see what He did with the Sadducees’ cleverness. He has similar answers for the neo-correct.

© 2004, Mark E. Ryman

You may freely use these hymn lyrics and/or commentary in whole or in part for study and/or worship
as long as you use the following citation: "©2004 Mark E. Ryman. More hymns at edoxy.com."

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If you wish to publish this or any of my hymns, you must of course gain my permission. © Mark E. Ryman

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