Forth in the Peace of Christ We Go
Forth in the peace of Christ we go
The hymn reflects Lutheran understanding of the Third Use of the Law and Christian vocation, emphasizing that redeemed believers serve Christ through witness and ethical living in daily life. It embodies the Lutheran principle that faith naturally expresses itself in love and service to neighbor.
History & Background
Written by American poet and abolitionist James Russell Lowell in 1862, the hymn reflects 19th-century Christian social activism and concern for justice. It was first published in hymnals in the late 1800s and has become a standard closing hymn emphasizing Christian discipleship and witness in the world.
Irish Jesuit James Quinn wrote the text to this hymn Scripture References in Edinburgh, Scotland, as poetic commentary on sections of st. 3-4 = 1 Pet. 2:9 Vatican H’s “Constitution on the Church” (chap. IV, sec. 34-36; and chap. I, sec. 1). The text was first published in Quinn’s New Hymnsfor All Seasons (1969). “Forth in the Peace of Christ We Go” emphasizes our responsibility as Christians to spread the gospel: we go to the world preaching Christ with joy (st. 1); we go as kings to show our servanthood to the King and to all people (st. 2); we go as priests to minister with the message of God’s healing grace (st. 3); we go as prophets to speak his word (st. 4); we go as the church to bring Christ’s peace and love (st. 5).
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 720
- The Hymnal 1982 — 347
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 347
- Lutheran Service Book — 920
- Lutheran Worship — 459
- Psalter Hymnal — 323
Liturgical Use
As a dismissal or recessional hymn; in conjunction with sermons on “prophet, priest, and king”; at high festivals of the church.
Bulletin Note
Written by American poet James Russell Lowell in 1862, this hymn teaches that Christ's peace motivates believers to faithful witness and service, expressing the Lutheran conviction that saving faith naturally flowers into love of neighbor and Christian vocation.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Third Use of the Law: the redeemed are empowered by Gospel peace to live ethical, loving lives as a grateful response to grace—not out of fear or obligation, but from transformed hearts.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christ's forty-day fast as pattern for believer's Lenten struggle against sin, culminating in Easter resurrection hope
Themes
Christian witness Mission and service Peace in Christ Vocation Social action