Month: September 2019

We need a new earth

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

There’s wars and violence, malice, lies,
and international tensions rise,
misused resources (blame those guys?)
but no-one’s faultless, fully wise.

However much our world puts right
pollution, wars, can’t clear all blight –
the earth is aging, cannot last,
and all our days are flying fast.

God came as Jesus to our earth:
no doubt about it, or his worth.
He said he’d come to free from hate,
fit for a new earth – trust and wait!

Tune: LM eg Niagara one of the tunes for ‘The Lord is King! lift up your voice’’

Giving is so much nicer than stealing!

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

Flimsy pleasure – hacking, scamming –
what a waste of mind and skill –
misappropriating talents
given by God to do his will.

Grabbing, greedy, stealing, wasting
other people’s things and time
– til a change to gladly giving
wrought by glorious power divine.

Tune: 87 87 eg Mariners, Traditional Sicilian melody

A question for the accusers

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

To Jesus they brought
this one they had caught
in breaking the law –
Christ came to restore
those sorry for sin,
so they could begin
a new life with Him,
empowered within.

For her they did not
have care, not a jot,
their aim was to trip
make Jesus to slip,
so they could detect
for law disrespect,
and undermine grace
that covers disgrace.

They all crept away,
for no-one could say
he’d never done wrong
through all his life long.
Hypocrisy, pride
can other sins hide.
The test had spun round –
and what had they found?

He didn’t condone,
nor did he condemn;
his mission to save,
and now can forgive
if guilt we admit
desiring to quit,
rebellion to leave;
repent and receive.
Tune: 10 10 10 10 but can be sung to some 10 10 11 11 tunes eg

“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

Heart-felt ‘worship’?

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

“Worship” can be worthless noise
in God’s ears; he will despise
ostentatious singing vain,
just lip-service brought again –
looks for love of righteousness
helping others in distress.

Some hope that a formal show
when to church, bored, choose to go,
hope it earns a future heaven –
sins acknowledged, sins forgiven
in Christ Jesus is the way,
loving justice, truly pray.

Many things can take my heart,
keeping me and God apart:
tune my lips to sweet aroma,
adoration of the Saviour,
justice rolling like a river,
righteousness pours forth for ever.

“I hate, I despise your religious feasts … Away with the noise of your songs … But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” Amos 5:21,23,24

Tune: 77 77 77 eg Dix (tune of ‘As with gladness men of old’)

He is God, and loves me!

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

God himself who formed the stars
loves me, truly loves me!
Sent his Son, his dear Son
bearing scorn to save me!
Melts my heart and fires my soul:
loving him, my Lord, my all!

God loved me before the stars
all were fashioned by him.
He will love me beyond time
– sight will swell my praising:
There I’ll fully taste and see
 all his love and majesty.

[Tune: 76 76 77 but can be sung to England’s Lane (tune of ‘For the beauty of the earth’ which is 77 77 77 ) or Liebster Jesu by Johann Rudolph Ahle (tune of Blessed Jesus, at Thy word’’ which is 78 78 88, and needs linking crochets to minims – ie two long syllables, not four brief ones – at the beginning of lines 2 and 4!)]