This is based on the Epistle, 1 John 3:13-24, and the Gospel, Luke 14:16-24. A hideous catastrophe befell me while I was writing this. I had written five stanzas to my own satisfaction, but when I went to save the document Word glitched out, said either the file was corrupt or there was a permission error, and deleted it - a document I had been working on since the first of the year. I was able to recover the document from a backup copy, and about two and three-quarters of the stanzas I had written were fortunately stored on the clipboard, and by memory I was able to recover the rest of stanzas 3 and 4; but rewriting stanza 5 turned out to be far harder than writing it in the first place. Here is the outcome, for what it's worth; the tune is LIEBSTER IMMANUEL, from a Leipzig hymnal of 1675.
Shall we such honor and pleasure despise?
We of ourselves are unworthy, unable,
Unjust to others, unclean in Your eyes.
Yet You persist in Your kind invitation,
Offering pardon and life to the least;
Shall wealth or duty or other relation
Keep us from tasting Your heavenly feast?
Dear Lord! Forbid that, Your summons refusing,
We tempt Your word to withdraw from this place!
Soften our hearts lest, Your mercy refusing,
We close the door on our moment of grace!
Rather, Lord, choose us again, the forsaken,
Crippled and blind, the cast down and cast out!
As You have loved us, among us awaken
Love of each other, unfettered by doubt!
Grant, dearest Savior, that all who address You
May know the truth and in true love abide!
Cause us with confident hearts to confess You,
Joyfully trusting in Christ crucified!
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