God is not lifted up, 2023 version

God is not lifted up far away;

God is not hid in deeps far below; 

Take this word on your heart and your tongue:

God is with you wherever you go.

 

Refrain:

May the Lord speak through you;

May you be God’s messenger on the way.

May the Lord shine through you,

How you live, how you work, what you say.

 

With your mouth you confess Jesus Lord, 

In your heart you believe God did raise; 

All who call on the name of the Lord

Will be saved, with thanksgiving and praise.

 

Refrain

 

Who will offer the word of the Lord

To the ones who have not heard his name?

So how lovely the feet of the ones

Who will take the good news to proclaim!

 

Refrain

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, 2014, 2019, 2023.

MUSIC: Tune SWEET BY AND BY, Joseph P. Webster, 1868.

This hymn has happened in three distinct stages. The first stanza came first as an end-of-service sung blessing, back when writing things like this was the occasional cute diversion instead of something pursued; the third stanza actually came next, and the second is recently created to make a somewhat fuller hymn to accompany the RCL Romans 10 reading. (Yes, there is a rhythmic change in the refrain; I can't believe it's too difficult to pick up.)