Come My Way My Truth My Life
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life
The hymn reflects Lutheran emphasis on faith-based discipleship wherein Christ himself calls the believer to follow him. It echoes the Reformation principle of personal response to God's Word, presenting Christ as the way, truth, and life promised in Scripture.
History & Background
George Herbert's poem 'The Call' was published in his collection The Temple (1633). The text has been widely adopted in Lutheran hymnals as a hymn of discipleship and personal response to Christ.
Hymnal Appearances
- Chalice Hymnal — 588
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 720
- The Hymnal 1982 — 487
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 513
- Lutheran Worship — 298
- New Century Hymnal — 331
- United Methodist Hymnal — 164
Bulletin Note
George Herbert (1593–1633), English priest and poet, crafted this hymn as a prayer-song of vocation. Its three-fold promise—Way, Truth, Life—echoes John 14:6, making Christ's identity inseparable from the believer's calling.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Reformation's insistence on personal encounter with Christ's Word: the Gospel call precedes and enables our response, transforming discipleship from legal demand into joyful, grateful following.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christological invitation progressing from soteriological foundation (Way/Truth/Life) through illumination and sustenance (Light/Feast/Strength) to intimate union (Joy/Love/Heart)
Themes
discipleship Christ as way/truth/life following Christ surrender and obedience invitation to conversion