Grace That Runs to Meet

The Story Behind the Hymn

This is a hymn for every household that has ever waited by a window. Luke's Gospel gives us the sentence that made all of prodigal-parenthood possible — when the son was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The running is grace. The hymn asks the household to be the kind of family the Father is.

Scripture Anchor

“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 · KJV

Companion passages: Luke 15:11-24 (the whole parable) · Ephesians 2:4-5 ("God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us") · Romans 5:8 ("while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us") · 1 John 4:19 ("We love him, because he first loved us").

Listen & Sing Along

Press play. The choir will lead. The highlighted line is the line the choir is singing now. Nothing autoplays; the hymn will wait for you.

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Verse 1

I was a great way off when I could see

The house I once had thought I'd never find;

The road was long and I was small and lean,

But father in the window had my kind.

Verse 2

He did not wait for me to reach the gate,

He did not linger by the guest-room stair;

Before I finished framing my defeat,

His feet had crossed the field and I was there.

Bridge

Grace that runs to meet me,

Grace that runs to greet me,

Grace that runs where I could only crawl,

Grace, and love, and welcome home for all.

Verse 3

Then teach this household how to watch and see

The child returning from the far, far land;

And when their feet grow weary on the road,

Let ours be first to reach and take their hand.

The highlighted line is the line the choir is singing now.

Reflection

The Christian household does not stand at a distance and wait for the returning child to explain himself. It runs. It kisses. It clothes and feeds before the confession is finished. Because that is what grace does. If we are ever going to be the kind of family the Father is, we will have to learn to run before the accounting starts.

A Prayer of the Running Father

Father who runs to meet us, make this household a house of running feet — first to forgive, first to welcome, first to kiss the neck of the child returning. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Watch & Share

YouTube version: Coming soon — the household will find this hymn as a full video on our channel. Visit the CrossAIHub channel to be notified when it’s posted.

Shorts: A short-form YouTube Shorts clip of this hymn will be published so households can share a verse in a minute. The Shorts placeholder is here so the ecosystem is ready when the video ships.

Use This Hymn At Home

Morning Before the day begins

Read Luke 15:20 aloud before breakfast. Ask: who might be a great way off today? Pray for them by name. Sing Verse 1.

Evening As the house grows quiet

Sing the Bridge slowly. Let 'welcome home for all' be the last line before the house sleeps.

With Children Simple enough for little ears

Act out the Prodigal Son story with the children. Let one be the father running. Ask: how would you have run? Sing Verse 3 together.