Return to God
Return to God with all your heart,
"Return to God" is thoroughly grounded in the theology of repentance as an act of divine invitation rather than merely human achievement. The opening line, echoing Joel 2:12, frames repentance not as a work that earns divine favor but as a response to a God who is already characterized as 'source of grace and mercy' and whose faithfulness is 'beyond all telling.' This move is theologically significant for Lutheran use: the call to return is predicated on the character of God, not on the worthiness of the one returning. The Law functions here as a summons that is already enveloped in promise. The second stanza's reference to 'the day of salvation' and 'the acceptable time' (2 Cor. 6:2) introduces an eschatological urgency — the kairos moment of Lent — while the choice framing ('turn away from sin and death and choose the way of justice') reflects the moral dimension of repentance. Lutheran planners may note the echoes of Luther's own understanding in the Heidelberg Disputation and the theology of the cross: God meets us in our thorns and transforms them to flowers, a striking image in stanza one. This is not works-righteousness but the alien righteousness of God at work. The final stanza's assurance that 'the past is gone, a new day dawns' and the invitation to 'trust the word of promise' moves the text into clearly Gospel territory, making the whole arc of the hymn Law-then-Gospel in structure. For ecumenical Lutheran worship, this hymn serves beautifully as an Ash Wednesday gathering or processional, as a response to the sermon on repentance, or as a sending hymn that holds together contrition and confidence. Its language is broadly ecumenical and avoids distinctively Catholic doctrinal vocabulary, making it immediately usable in Lutheran, Methodist, or Reformed contexts.
History & Background
"Return to God" was written by Marty Haugen in 1994 and published by GIA Publications. It was composed specifically for Lenten and Ash Wednesday use, drawing its central theme and opening words from the prophet Joel's call to repentance: "Return to the LORD, your God" (Joel 2:12–13). The text was created as a processional or gathering hymn suited to the Ash Wednesday liturgy, where the imposition of ashes and the call to repentance are central acts. It quickly became one of the most widely used Lenten texts in Catholic parishes in North America following its inclusion in major GIA publications and the Gather hymnal series. Haugen's text is distinctive for pairing the prophetic summons of the Hebrew scriptures with New Testament assurances of grace, particularly the Pauline exhortation from 2 Corinthians 6:2 ('now is the acceptable time'). The refrain-like closing line of each stanza, 'come, bring your heart to God,' functions almost as a repeated choral response, giving the hymn a built-in antiphonal quality. The tune RETURN TO GOD, also by Haugen, is in a modal idiom that reinforces the penitential character of the text without heaviness. The hymn has gained significant ecumenical traction and appears in Lutheran (ELW), Catholic (Gather, Worship), and other mainline Protestant resources, demonstrating its broad resonance across traditions for the Lenten season. Its inclusion in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) signaled its acceptance beyond the Catholic context of its origin.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — smooth
- Gather 3rd Edition — 420
- Gather 4th Edition — 420
- Worship IV — 416
Bulletin Note
Text and music © 1994, GIA Publications, Inc. Based on Joel 2:12–13 and 2 Corinthians 6:2. Used by permission.
Preaching Connection
This text gives a congregation words for what the preacher declares: that the acceptable time is now, and that the God to whom we return is not a creditor tallying debts but a parent running toward us. It pairs naturally with Joel 2:12–17 and the Ash Wednesday Gospel (Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21), holding together the call to genuine inward repentance and the assurance that God's mercy already precedes our turning.
Themes
repentance Lent Ash Wednesday grace and mercy conversion return to God forgiveness penitence invitation new beginnings faithfulness of God justice