During this past season of Lent, I read through the powerful hymn O Sacred Head Now Wounded. The third verse caught my eye and heart in a new and powerful way:
What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
for this, Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever! And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for Thee.
How thought-provoking and powerful this text is! The first phrase is what really grabbed my attention. “What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend?” Why would we need to borrow from another language? Could it be that one language couldn’t communicate what we need to say? Could it be that all of our languages combined couldn’t possibly suffice? When it comes to our worship, work, and witness, our goal is to fully communicate God’s glory in ways that resonate with all of God’s people. We will need every possible language and means at our disposal just to begin to communicate the goodness of God.
How do we even begin to do this? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? I believe the answer lies in diversity. Utilizing all the diverse gifts God has blessed us with. Diverse expressions highlight God’s many attributes of power, love, justice, forgiveness. Our creative God, who fashioned us out of nothing, gave us a wonderful world, complete with butterflies, manatees, Komodo dragons, lemurs, and frogs. Doesn’t it follow that we, the part of creation made in God’s image, would use our God-given creativity to honor the one who gave us life? Just as the concert pianist is using their gifts when performing for thousands, each of us must discern what our gifts are and how we can best use them to honor our Creator. How does this manifest itself in real time? It takes time, planning, trust, and a willingness to reach out to your wider community to discover the diverse gifts present. No single way of worship can fully convey God’s greatness, so why not utilize every single resource at our disposal?
Utilize all of your gifts through the different senses of sight, sound, touch and taste and scent to declare his greatness in every language. This can be done through music, the spoken word, the gift of touch at just the right time, and through sharing meals together, both corporately through the Lord’s Supper and in smaller groups by inviting others into your home. Proclaiming God’s message of salvation in every language breaks down barriers. Evangelism and discipleship are made possible by our willingness to be genuine in our interactions with others through everyday life.
Alan Pote’s Many Gifts, One Spirit captures the essence of this goal in one simple choral anthem:
Many gifts, one spirit, many songs, one voice
Many reasons, one promise, many questions, one choice.
O, God, we pray for unity, give guidance from above.
In our differences unite us in the circle of your love.
O, God, remind us we are not alone.
Though we move on different pathways, we are walking to your throne.
As the people of God, we are not just called but impelled to reach out to our entire community, utilizing every gift and resource to share the light and love of Jesus Christ in every way possible. In every language possible. In every moment possible. There’s an old hymn, penned by Ernest Nichol, which echoes this sentiment:
We’ve a story to tell to the nations
We’ve a song to be sung to the nations,
We’ve a message to give to the nations
We’ve a Savior to show to the nations.
My hope is we can find a way to use every gift God has given us to proclaim this message far and wide, so all may know the many wonders of God’s infinite love.
Inspiring. Thanks for sharing this important insight into the hymn. Very encouraging.