WE LIFT OUR HEARTS TO YOU
In faith we feast today,
Those ransomed by the Son,
On bread and wine which serve to say,
”Remember what I’ve done.”
Refrain
We lift our hearts to You,
Most glorious God above.
O let this bounteous feast renew
Our faith and hope and love.
In hope we come this hour
Ensured of lasting gain:
For He who died was raised with power
And comes for us again.
In love we join as one
Around this heav’nly spread.
All worldly barriers are undone
with Jesus as our Head.
So fill the empty heart
And quench the thirsting soul,
And by Your Spirit grace impart—
O Lord, come make us whole.
click above to download pdf
REFLECTION
Many Christians today are under the sad misconception that the Lord’s Supper is nothing other than a memorial meal—a time where we reflect upon the death of Christ. It is certainly that. After all, Jesus commanded His disciples to “do this in remembrance of me.” But is that all it is? If so, it would mean that all we are doing in the Supper is “looking back” in faith. But it is much more than that. We also “look forward” in hope: the Supper represents the consummation of all things when the redeemed host will join together and feast at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19). Beyond that we also “look around” in love—we call in “communion” because we are communing and fellowshipping with those saints who are also part of Christ’s body. So I have found it helpful to describe the Supper in terms of what it does for our faith, hope, and love. But all of this is accomplished with one other vista: throughout it all we are “looking up” by the Spirit’s power into the heavenly places. The refrain of this hymn borrows from the ancient liturgical call-and-response known as the sursum corda (Latin for “lift up your hearts”). This is what we do in the Lord’s Supper: the Spirit lifts us up to where Jesus is, to Heaven itself. That’s where, by faith, we truly partake of Christ’s body and blood.
Official permission to use the hymns posted at hymnsofdevotion.com is granted under the following conditions: (a) the hymns are not to be altered in any way, (b) the hymns are to be distributed free of charge, and (c) recognition is to be given to both the author and composer. If the hymns are to be used in a formal publication (i.e., anything that will be sold), please email your request below.