Dream of God
The dream of God, a tree of life
"Dream of God" functions theologically as a sustained eschatological proclamation, inviting worshipers into the biblical vision of the fully realized kingdom of God. Each stanza presents a distinct scriptural image—tree of life, holy place, wedding feast, radiant city, restored people—that together constitute a composite portrait of what God intends for creation. This approach is consonant with Lutheran eschatology insofar as it holds together the "already" and "not yet" of the kingdom: the images are simultaneously descriptions of what Christ has accomplished (Gospel) and what the community is called to embody and anticipate (law/vocation). The text avoids moralistic reduction; the dream is always God's dream, not humanity's project, which keeps the theological center of gravity firmly in divine initiative. For Lutheran ecumenical use, the second stanza—"a holy place where good and evil meet, where justice, mercy, peace entwine and God and sinners greet"—is particularly rich. The juxtaposition of sinners and God meeting in the holy place resonates strongly with Lutheran sacramental theology, where the Lord's Supper is precisely such a threshold: the place where the holy and the broken encounter one another in grace. The wedding feast imagery of the third stanza similarly invokes Eucharistic theology, connecting the present meal to the eschatological banquet of Revelation 19. Bell's use of "through Christ's blood" in the fourth stanza introduces an explicit atonement reference that grounds the eschatological vision in the paschal mystery, preventing the text from collapsing into mere optimistic utopianism. The fifth stanza's movement from cosmic vision to communal vocation—"a people whole who live in love and light, who bear each other's burdens"—mirrors the Lutheran understanding of sanctification as life lived in response to the Gospel. The text as a whole thus embodies Bell's characteristic integration of personal faith and social engagement, corporate worship and prophetic witness. For Lutheran planners, the hymn works well as a response to eschatological Gospel readings, as a sending hymn, or as part of a teaching series on the theology of the kingdom.
History & Background
"Dream of God" was written by John L. Bell of the Iona Community and first published by Wild Goose Publications in 2002. The text draws on a rich tapestry of biblical eschatological imagery—particularly the tree of life from Revelation 22, the wedding banquet parables of Matthew, and the New Jerusalem vision of Revelation 21—weaving them into a sustained meditation on the reign of God as both present hope and future promise. Bell composed the text with its own named tune, DREAM OF GOD, which appears in several Wild Goose Resources collections and has been licensed for use in ecumenical worship settings across the United Kingdom, North America, and beyond. The text emerged during a period in Bell's writing when he was increasingly focused on eschatological and social-justice themes, reflecting the Iona Community's longstanding commitment to connecting worship with the material realities of poverty, peacemaking, and ecological concern. The five stanzas move systematically through five distinct biblical metaphors for the kingdom of God: the cosmic tree, the sacred threshold space, the feast, the renewed city, and the redeemed community. This architectural approach makes the text well-suited for extended liturgical use, lectionary preaching series on the kingdom, or Ordinary Time Sundays when congregations are invited to inhabit the broad sweep of God's redemptive vision. The hymn has spread through ecumenical channels primarily via Wild Goose Publications and the annual Iona Community gatherings, as well as through inclusion in worship resources published by the Church of Scotland and various North American denominations. Its measured, strophic structure and relatively accessible tune have made it adaptable for choirs and congregational singing alike, and it has been used in contexts ranging from Sunday morning worship to midweek peace and justice gatherings.
Bulletin Note
Text and tune by John L. Bell (b. 1949) of the Iona Community, Scotland. © 2002 WGRG, Iona Community, admin. GIA Publications. All rights reserved.
Preaching Connection
When the Gospel reading stretches our imagination toward the kingdom of God—whether in parable, healing, or apocalyptic vision—"Dream of God" gives the congregation a musical vocabulary for that same eschatological longing. Preachers can draw directly on any of the five stanzas' images to anchor a sermon in the concrete, embodied hope that scripture offers.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- The Definition & Command of Communion Small Catechism — Holy Communion
Themes
eschatology kingdom of God hope new creation justice and peace Eucharist tree of life wedding feast heavenly city community healing sanctification vision