God's Mercy Is Wider than Our Own

At Sunday Vespers this week Bernie Archer mentioned that while in England he had picked up a Faber Hymnal containing all the original verses of many Faber hymns which we sing today.  I was not nearly as familiar with Frederick Faber as Bernie obviously is, but his enthusiasm sent me on a journey to learn more.  

The hymn "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" which appears in our Chalice Hymnal was originally titled "Come to Jesus."  Our hymnal has only four verses of the original 13, which is understandable given our modern tendency to sing only 2-3 verses of any hymn most Sundays. But in this case, it's too bad.  Because back in 1854 when Faber penned the lyrics he had much to say about grace, including these challenging words:

There is grace enough for thousands
Of new worlds as great as this;
There is room for fresh creations
In that upper home of bliss. 

For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of our mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.

If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine
In the sweetness of our Lord.

But we make His love too narrow
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify His strictness
With a zeal He will not own.

Enjoy the performance above of the Birmingham Boy's Choir as they share a rendition of this Faber classic. I found it incredibly beautiful and the last verses are particularly touching. Truthfully, it makes me think of Bernie's sparkling, grace filled eyes passionately talking about the love of God at Elder's meetings.  In the picture to the right you can't see those eyes, because Bernie is laughing at something Jim Holiman said about the Great Trinitarian Controversy.

I love this church.