About the Hymn
Scripture reveals that God’s holy law serves three purposes: a mirror to show us our sins, a curb to stop the grosser outbreaks of sin among us, and a guide to show our sanctified souls how we can thank our God with an obedient life.
This hymn expands on the mirror function of the Law.
Here we sing to our own souls—in the tradition of “What Wondrous Love Is This, O My Soul” and “Oh, Bless the Lord My Soul”—urging ourselves to look unafraid at the mirror of the Law and let it do its holy work of revealing to us our sins.
It’s painful but necessary work. We dare not shy away from it, thinking we can hide our sinfulness from ourselves or our God. For it’s only when we recognize our sinful condition that we also recognize our need for a Savior.
And there our Savior is—or, rather, here our Savior is. He’s waiting for us and has been all along—his arms wide, his eyes merciful, his Word welcoming. Trusting that he died to pay the price for our sins, we lay that heavy load on him and sigh in relief. A deep, eternal sigh of relief.
The hymn should be performed at a reflective, yet resolute♩= ca. 80.
Text
1. Now look, my soul, into the law
and see there every sin.
This mirror reveals the will of God
and how you’ve turned from him.
2. With true humility, concede
the fullness of your flaws,
the many ways you’ve failed to meet
the standard of the law.
3. This honesty will bring you grief,
but do not look away.
Repentance comes before relief
as dark before the day.
4. And then, my soul, look to your Lord,
the kind and caring Christ.
There’s welcome in his healing Word;
there’s mercy in his eyes.
5. Lay all your sins on him, my soul.
His arms are open wide.
He longs to take your heavy load.
It was for you he died.
© 2018 Laurie F. Gauger
Lectionary Reading
Year A, Season after Pentecost, Proper 22 (27): Exodus 20:1–4, 7–9, 12–20
Year B, Third Sunday in Lent: Exodus 20:1–17
The Ten Commandments
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
