Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Hymn #281 in Celebrating Grace Hymnal — “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”

[pullquote_center width=”85%”]Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee:
Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee ,lost in wonder, love, and praise.[/pullquote_center]

Restored and finished. Charles Wesley, in the mid-1700’s, used these words to envision the fulfillment of God’s dream for humanity. With a love that surpasses any other concept of love, God continues to “create” us, to draw us toward purity. This verse is an encouragement to me, as I often feel God must not quite be done with me yet! What a God we worship, Whose creation is not limited to a one-time act, but happens over and over to create and re-create us as whole and pure!

It’s enough to lose ourselves in wonder, love, and praise….

Auburn First Baptist Church