Love in Christ is Strong and Living
Love in Christ is strong and living
This hymn emphasizes love as the binding force of Christian community, reflecting Colossians 3:14's description of love as the perfect bond of unity. It expresses the Lutheran understanding of sanctification as the grateful response to God's grace, demonstrating how the justified live out their faith in loving relationships.
History & Background
Written in 2006 by Mark P. Svendsen specifically for Lutheran worship, this hymn was commissioned to complement the Colossians 3 pericope. It was first published in Lutheran Service Book (2006) and has since appeared in multiple contemporary Lutheran hymnals.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 843
- Lutheran Service Book — 706
- Lutheran Worship — 376
Bulletin Note
Mark P. Svendsen's 2006 text, set to the beloved tune ST. CATHERINE, grounds Christian community in Colossians 3:14—love as the perfect bond of unity—reflecting Lutheran teaching on grace-filled discipleship.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Law-Gospel dynamic: it proclaims Christ's love as the Gospel foundation while calling believers to embody that love in concrete acts of unity, showing sanctification as grateful living.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From the proclamation of Christ's boundless love (stanza 1), through the believer's total consecration and response (stanza 2), to the sufficiency of Christ for all conditions of life (stanza 3), and finally to faith's perseverance through suffering and earthly loss (stanza 4). The arc moves from gift received to gift lived out in all circumstances.
Themes
Christian love Unity in Christ Grace Community Sanctification