Lord Jesus, My Beginning

 

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Tune: Ach Gott, vom Himmelreiche

 

1 Lord Jesus, my Beginning,

Above all names the Name,

By which my soul is winning

Release from sin and shame,

All Scripture teaches of You,

In You the Father’s heart

Moves my poor heart to love You

With faith that You impart.

 

2 So speak the prophets’ pages:

You lived in unity

Before all earthly ages

In God the Trinity,

Begotten of the Father,

From whom His Breath proceeds,

In time become my Brother,

Who for me always pleads.

 

3 All good that we can offer

Begins in You alone,

Who once for us did suffer

And gave to us to own

All righteousness in heaven,

So that the sins we see

Are by Your blood forgiven

And blotted out for free.

 

4 So as You have redeemed me,

Now take what You have bought;

With mercy You esteemed me –

Sustain me whom You sought

With words spoke by Your Spirit,

With grace from Your lips poured,

That, trusting in Your merit,

I find Your work’s reward. 

 

5 I know that in my weakness

You can’t despise Your child,

Since You came down in meekness

With lowly heart and mild,

So now as I endeavor

To walk in holiness,

Be at the start my Savior

My every work to bless.

 

6 So daily I will follow

The way that You begin,

But keep me, lest I wallow

In worldly vice and sin;

As You are my Beginning,

So on You I depend

When my weak breath is thinning

To be my joyous End. 

            1/24/18