A Hymn for This Hour

by Craig Goodwin-Ortiz de León

This morning, during Morning Prayer for the Feast of Independence Day, I found myself deeply moved by hymn #596 from The Hymnal 1982: God of Grace and God of Glory. Its words, written nearly a century ago, seem uncannily relevant to the spiritual and civic challenges we face today. It offers a powerful prayer—one rooted in humility, conviction, and the hope of transformation.

The first verse begins with a request for God’s power to rest on God’s people. It recalls the long, imperfect story of the Church and dares to ask for renewal and flourishing. There is no triumphalism in these lines. Instead, they reach toward something greater than human strength: a flowering of grace that reshapes the Church through divine wisdom and courage.

The second verse confronts a painful reality. It acknowledges the forces in the world that reject Christ’s way of love and justice. The language is honest—evil is not abstract here. But the focus of the prayer turns inward. The heart of the request is for liberation from fear and a renewal of faith. In a time when anxiety and division dominate our public life, this verse challenges the Church to rise with courage rather than retreat into silence.

The third verse goes even deeper, naming truths that many would rather ignore. The line “rich in things and poor in soul” lingers. It is a critique of our spiritual condition, especially in a culture driven by consumption and self-interest. The hymn invites us to confront our pride and selfishness with honesty. It pleads for healing—not just peace, but the transformation of hearts and systems shaped by violence and greed.

The final verse is perhaps the most urgent. It names the temptation to give up, to fall into passive despair in the face of injustice. But the hymn offers a different way forward. It asks for strength to persevere and remain faithful, to find joy in salvation, and to stay centered in worship and service. The glory envisioned here is not fame or control but the quiet steadiness of devotion.

This hymn speaks directly into the spiritual moment we inhabit. As the nation marks its independence, the Church is called to reflect on its dependence—on grace, on courage, on wisdom from above. This is a time for prayer that names hard truths and seeks holy change. God of Grace and God of Glory gives us language for both.