Come, ye sinners, poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore; Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, love, and power. I will arise and go to Jesus; he will embrace me in his arms. In the arms of my dear Savior, O there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome; God’s free bounty glorify, true belief and true repentance, every grace that brings you nigh…

The melody of this hymn is often quite haunting due to its minor key. And yet, somehow it makes the music more poignant in expressing its message.

At the heart of the gospel is a very simple purpose: that all the world would know they are loved and welcomed. Throughout his earthly life, this was the essential intention in Christ’s ministry. We, the body of Christ on earth (i.e. the church), are called to continue that ministry in every place we can.

Far too often the business of functioning overshadows our true objective as followers of Christ. We get so caught up in keeping the lights on, ensuring that the food is good, and even sometimes in our own personal prayer time that we lose sight of what really matters.

This hymn invites us to draw our attention back – not only to our own need of repentance, but also to the open arms we are meant to extend into the world. Our lives are intended to be the example so that all others may be embraced, too.

So may this be our prayer for the journey of true ministry: Come, ye weary, heavy laden, lost and ruined by the fall; if you tarry till you’re better, you will never come at all. I will arise and go to Jesus; he will embrace me in his arms. In the arms of my dear Savior, O there are ten thousand charms.