O blessed be the Father and His Son,
our one and only savior, Jesus Christ,
whose mercy lavished on our sinful flesh
renewed us unto this abundant hope,
this new life, that enriches more than now,
it stretches to our life beyond this plane.
For Christ, the resurrected one, has through
His life and death destroyed the grave’s dark night.
Moreover, to us undeserving lost
and fallen man, He lavishes His love
by sharing His inheritance with us.
A gift imperishable, wholly pure,
incapable of fading even in
the endless stretch of ages still to come;
a home, a perfect purpose, and a marriage
union bound in blissful love and peace.
This God whose grace and steadfast love preserves
our place beside Him in the world to come,
this holy face of glory, splendor, and
infinite power has looked upon me
and privileged me to one day look on Him.
When night descends and troubles steal my breath,
when lingering days make me cry out for death,
this is The Living Hope that I cling to:
someday, O LORD, I’ll finally be with you.
R. C. Svendsen 