9/21 - Blessed are the Meek

 St. Andrew's Family 

This Sunday we continue our journey through the Beatitudes, focusing on Jesus’ words: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5). Meekness is often misunderstood. It is not weakness or passivity, but strength that has been gentled by God—power surrendered to love. Our hymns this week weave together a story of worship that helps us live into this truth.

We begin with “Holy, Holy, Holy / Santo, Santo, Santo” (TFWS 2007). In singing of God’s holiness in both English and Spanish, we remind ourselves that God’s majesty is beyond language, culture, or nation. The opening hymn calls us to humility. When we declare that God alone is holy, we step into the first act of meekness: recognizing that our lives belong to the One who reigns above all.

From there we sing “I Am Thine, O Lord” (UMH 419), a hymn of consecration written by Fanny Crosby. This hymn invites us to draw nearer to God, to live in closeness with the One who guides our steps. Meekness means choosing intimacy with God over self-assertion, finding our strength not in demanding our own way but in resting in God’s presence and voice.

Our Centering Song, “I Surrender” by Matt Crocker, makes this call even clearer. It is a modern prayer that repeats the simple but difficult truth: we cannot fully follow Christ without surrender. To be meek is to place our plans, our pride, and our control into God’s hands. Singing this song allows us to practice that posture of open-handed trust.

Our anthem, “Draw Me Close” by Kelly Carpenter, continues this theme of intimacy and trust. It is a heartfelt prayer: “You’re all I want, You’re all I’ve ever needed.” In a world where pride and self-sufficiency often take center stage, this anthem gently reminds us that meekness is found in desiring God above all else. To be meek is not to shrink back, but to step forward with a heart fully dependent on the Lord’s presence. As a congregation, we are invited to join in this prayer, seeking closeness with the One who makes us whole.

We end with “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” (TFWS 2146), a hymn of deep trust. It assures us that meekness is not about losing, but about resting confidently in God’s provision. If God cares for the sparrows, how much more will God watch over us? We leave worship reminded that we can walk humbly and gently in the world because God’s care surrounds us.

Taken together, these hymns form an arc of worship: we begin with awe at God’s holiness, move into intimacy and surrender, embrace love, and end in trust. This is the journey of meekness—one we are invited to walk not just in worship, but in every part of our lives.

May these songs be more than melodies this week. May they shape our hearts into the meekness Christ blesses, a meekness that inherits not through power but through trust, surrender, and love.

Grace and peace,

Music Tom 

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