Yesterday (November 4) was an anniversary of sorts for our family. It was the anniversary of the baptism of two of our children but in two different years. (2007 and 2011). The song, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing holds a special place in our family.
In January, 1996, I left Minneapolis when the temperature was at minus 30 degrees to go to the 70 degrees in the Dominican Republic with my mom and dad to visit my Aunt Gladys and Uncle Ray Brinks who were missionaries there. One of the highlights of that trip for me was seeing a baptism in a river. My Uncle Ray walked down into the river to baptize several people while my mom, dad, and I watched from the bridge above. During the baptism, they sang Come Thou Fount. I didn’t understand the words, but could recognize the tune.
It became the baptism song for all my kids. Rebecca and I used that song as our baptism song for Claire in 2004. In 2007, several weeks before we left for China to adopt our son, we went to a concert and unexpectedly heard that song sung in an African language. Again, we did not understand the words but recognized the tune. Rebecca and I both thought it would be great if we could get a recording of this song in Chinese as we anticipated the adoption of our son from China.
Through friendships with people who had connections in China, we were able to get a recording of the song. After we arrived home, we made arrangements to have that song played during Cai’s baptism on Sunday, November 4, 2007. (this wasn’t the particular version)
Then on Sunday, November 4, 2011, when Leah was baptized, we again asked that the congregation sing this song as part of the worship service.
To date, I have heard this song in 4 languages, (a Spanish language, an African language, Chinese, and English) each time recognizing the tune.
One verse in particular has resonated with my life more than maybe any other song.
O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be? Let thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.
I am struck by the irony of being in debt to grace. One definition of grace is “unmerited favor.” By its very definition you cannot earn grace, but because of God’s extension of grace to me, I am bound to be in debt to it. It cannot be paid back, and we are still prone to wander and leave the very God that has extended the gift of grace to us. We must rely totally on his goodness to bind our heart and seal it forever
In the end, the relative size of our debt to God (Matthew 18: 23-33) won’t matter because God’s sense of justice was satisfied by the death of Christ. And we will see, just as this entire song is about, God is the source of every blessing including and most importantly the mercy that keeps our hearts bound to Christ as his very own.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20
A Long Intentional Walk 