Hymn Desk
Hymn Texts /

Now We Remain

We hold the death of the Lord deep in our hearts.

Theologically, 'Now We Remain' is structured around the Pauline and Johannine theology of abiding — remaining in Christ through his death and resurrection. The refrain's declaration, 'Living, now we remain with Jesus, the Christ,' echoes the Johannine language of mutual indwelling (John 15) and Paul's assertion that to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). The final stanza makes explicit the paschal logic: 'for to live with the Lord, we must die with the Lord,' a direct echo of Romans 6 and Paul's baptismal theology of dying and rising with Christ. In a Lutheran framework, this is deeply consonant with Luther's theologia crucis — the theology of the cross — in which true life is always found through death, hiddenness, and self-emptying rather than through glory. The hymn's Eucharistic dimension — 'holding the death of the Lord deep in our hearts' drawing from 1 Corinthians 11:26, and the call to 'become bread and wine: food for the hungry' — invites a Lutheran reading that is both sacramental and ethical. Lutherans, who hold a robust theology of the Real Presence, can engage the Eucharistic imagery with theological depth, while the ethical extension ('we are the presence of God') translates naturally into Lutheran vocation theology: the baptized are called to embody Christ's presence in the world through service. The law-gospel dynamic in this text is richly integrated. The stanzas narrate the human condition of fear and lostness ('once we were people afraid, lost in the night') before announcing the saving cross. This movement from darkness to light, from death to life, follows a classic law-gospel arc. The call to be witnesses and to become bread for the hungry carries an imperative weight that participates in both dimensions: it flows from the Gospel gift of communion with Christ ('living, now we remain') and simultaneously calls the assembly to a demanding discipleship. In Lutheran worship, this text functions well as a post-communion or sending hymn, grounding the ethical call firmly in the sacramental gift that precedes it.

History & Background

"Now We Remain" was composed by David Haas in 1983 and published by GIA Publications. The text draws its central theological image from 1 Corinthians 11:26 — proclaiming the death of the Lord until he comes — and weaves together themes from 1 John 1 (what we have seen, heard, and touched concerning the Word of life) and the Johannine and Pauline theology of abiding in Christ. The refrain's declaration, 'Living, now we remain with Jesus, the Christ,' became a touchstone of post-conciliar Catholic assembly singing in the 1980s and 1990s, capturing the participatory, incarnational spirituality encouraged by the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The hymn appeared prominently in GIA's parish music resources and quickly entered the repertoire of Catholic parishes across North America. Its accessibility, both melodically and theologically, made it suitable for a wide range of liturgical settings, from Sunday Eucharist to prayer services, retreats, and funerals. The text's explicit Eucharistic and martyrological language — holding the death of the Lord — connected it naturally to Communion rites and the rites surrounding death and burial, while its community-centered theology ('We are the presence of God') resonated with emerging theologies of the assembly. Ecumenically, the hymn has found some use in Lutheran, Methodist, and broadly ecumenical Protestant contexts, particularly through shared hymnody projects and ecumenical retreat settings. Its scriptural rootedness in Pauline and Johannine texts makes it broadly accessible across traditions, and its call to servant witness — 'to be witnesses of love' — aligns well with Lutheran theologies of vocation and the priesthood of all believers.

Hymnal Appearances

  • Gather 3rd Edition — 649
  • Worship IV — 753

Bulletin Note

Text and music by David Haas (b. 1957), © 1983 GIA Publications. Based on 1 Corinthians 11:26, 1 John 1:1–4, and John 15.

Preaching Connection

When the preacher proclaims that in baptism we die with Christ so that we might live with Christ, this hymn gives the assembly a voice for that very mystery, singing together that living now we remain — and that remaining costs us everything and gives us everything. The text's final line, 'for to live with the Lord, we must die with the Lord,' offers a powerful homiletical summary of the paradox at the heart of the Gospel.

Catechism & Confessional Connections

Themes

Eucharist discipleship paschal mystery dying and rising with Christ servant witness community vocation abiding in Christ mission incarnation

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