A little-known hymn by Cecil Spring-Rice called "I Vow to Thee My Country" was a lifetime favorite of Diana, Princess of Wales. She requested the song be sung at her wedding, and it was sung again at her funeral in 1997. The lyrics of the hymn provide a rich vocabulary for contemplating what it means to give our lives to God and his kingdom.

I vow to thee my country, all earthly things above. Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love. The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test. That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best. The love that never falters, the love that pays the price. The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice. And there's another country, I've heard of long ago most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know. We may not count her armies, we may not see her King her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering. And soul by soul and silently, her shining bounds increase and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.