Author: rhiannon

Where will it all end?

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

Jesus Christ will come again
– as He went He will return.
All will see Him, own Him King,
Alpha and Omega – Come!
Totally transform the earth:
no more illness, no more death,
all that’s evil, bad remove:
just and holy, God of love.

Jesus Christ, the First and Last
came before to save and call.
Soon, when time of grace is past
He will come again, we all
at His throne will meet the Judge
whose assessments none can fudge:
in His book is listed those
who His gift of pardon chose.

Do not fear earth’s ruination
– war, destruction, detonation
– bombs –, or greed, manipulation,
electronic domination,
poison, climate hot, pollution.
Rather fear just condemnation –
pray His pardon and redemption,
trust Him for your preservation.

Tune: 77 77 77 77 eg ‘Humility’ by John Goss (tune of ‘See amid the winter snow’) last stanza has a syllable hanging at the end of each line to squeeze in!

Don’t Forget!

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

When will we see an end
of bloody battle, war?
Now some must fight, defend
and peace seek to restore.

Give thanks when battles cease,
remember all now scarred,
those who have died for peace
and those whose lives are marred.

Some injured, others find
so much they can’t forget
that festers, haunts their mind
and life seems grey and set.

Christ suffered malice when
nailed, scorned, the earth went dark
three hours. He sees the pain
where evil’s made its mark.

Remember then your debt
to those who bore such pain,
But may we not forget
Christ’s peace of heart to claim.

Tune: 66 66 iambic

While there is time …

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

“My times are in your hands’*
– the One outside of time
who total power commands
and sees the whole time-line.

He stepped into earth’s time
as human come to save
by death, though still divine,
brought life beyond the grave.

Time will no longer bind
one ‘day’ – eternity:
we all will live to find
that awesome certainty.

So now we have this time
to learn the truth of all;
and heaven will soon be mine
if for his grace I call.

*Psalm 31:15 Tune: 66 66 iambic

Harvest completed, thanksgiving

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

So are you thankful? Thankful to whom?
We know the One to whom we can come
offering thanks and worship – the Lord
Giver, Sustainer: provision outpoured.

So much received, how grateful am I?
And am I generous with this supply?
All that I own now really is His –
use it most carefully, and He will bless.

Throughout our world, such riches of food.
How much is wasted, cannot do good:
war, greed, extortion, unwilling to share,
so much destruction of of food everywhere.

Tune: 54 54 54 54 eg ‘Have thine own way’ by George Stebbins

Knocking on your heart

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

Look, who is knocking!
Do you refuse?
Will He be rocking
trendy life-views?
Cautious or frightened,
keep the door shut?
You can’t be enlightened
if He’s kept out!

Cannot experience
joy he can bring,
freedom of conscience,
love that will win,
gaining desires new
unlike before
– none have regrets who
open the door!

Open the door
set in your heart
Christ can restore
joy, life impart
Wonderful guest!
With Him you’ll share
nourishing feast,
transformative care!

Tune: 54 54 54 54 eg ‘Have thine own way’ by George Stebbins
cf Revelation chapter 3:20 “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with me’.”
Do you remember Holman Hunt’s painting? (1827–1910??

Don’t feel at home

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

I do not feel ‘at home’ here
an ‘alien’ now exiled,
for evil things are done here
and everything’s defiled.
There’s double-talk, hypocrisy
there’s greed, pressures, deceit
there’s malice and abundancy
of glamour that will cheat.

Our home is where we’re going
where bad things are no more.
For through His Word we’re knowing
the glory that’s in store
not that we are deserving
of such a place of love
by grace He is reserving
this home beyond the grave.

In turning and receiving
forgiveness through Christ’s blood,
repentant, for sin grieving,
He’s given us love of good.
Our hearts He is preparing
to fit in such a home,
our thoughts and will repairing,
we long for when He’ll come!

Tune: 76 76 76 76 eg Aurelia by S Wesley, tune of ‘The church’s one foundation’

Walking with the Lord

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

So much to distract and dilute
our walk with the Lord every day.
Remember, give thought to your root –
our love flows from His – His display
of constant unmerited love
can teach us to value and care
for others, approachable, give
yourself, and your own troubles share.

And pray for each other as Paul
prayed for those who had come to true faith,
and boldly with reverence call
to the Father who’s given us life:
for riches of daily support
and spiritual strengthening pray
to help all the saints he has bought
show Jesus, the Saviour each day.

Unsearchable love we now know
in part. Meditate on it, grow
more like Him, and so like-love show:
The love you receive will outflow.
More able than we can imagine
to help by His wonderful power:
be praise to our Saviour in heaven
and also on earth ever more!

cf Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 3: 14-21 and to the Philippians 1:27-2:16
Tune: 88 88 88 88 anapaestic (with initial unstressed syllable per line!) eg Covenant Blessing by T Chapman, tune of ‘A debtor to mercy alone’)

Jonah needed hard providences!

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

God didn’t leave Jonah in folly:
his fleeing and folly were stopped
by the storm and the waves, then God kindly
provided a fish and it gulped,
and swallowed, enclosing the prophet,
saved to stop and consider his ways:
near death in the sea brought him profit
– when released from the fish, he obeys.

The Ninevites repented and turned,
when warned that their violence and sin
would soon bring destruction they’d earned,
hoped God would relent and not bring
that judgment, and such proved the case
but Jonah was angry and selfish
not wanting that they receive grace:
forgot what he’d learnt in the fish.

He watched, still expecting their end
and God gave a plant to give shade,
but later a worm, and hot wind
– these people by God too were made
and Jonah should gladly show pity
not just that his shelter be spared,
but for this repentant vast city
who’d heeded the message they’d heard.

Sceptical

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

Sceptical and cynical,
and all good claims you doubt.
(like scams that say you’ve won great prize
but need your bank codes to advise!)
– your own ideas confidently shout.
Religious rules you shun, but see
such rules could never save —
Christ came to die for you and me
and truly offers love.

With care examine cautiously,
don’t be afraid to question, doubt
your own ideas, flaws to see,
for best if you found out
before too long if meaning’s missed –
don’t want to tread a foolish way
for years and then regret the day
you didn’t stop and understand
the offered gift, life-giving lift.

Give thanks always!

~ rhiannon ~ Leave a comment

Thankfulness for what He’s done:
Jesus our salvation won,
now His Spirit draws our hearts
to the grace that He imparts:
out of blindness, darkness, death
to His light in glorious birth.

Nothing else to add to that –
all by Him procured, and what
some may foolishly suggest
as an “extra” do resist.
As we now have this new life,
flee from all that brings him grief.

Growing thus in godliness
life is full of thankfulness.
Daily praying, knowing love
grace and mercy far above
what we ever could deserve –
daily gifts help as we serve

Tune: 77 77 77 eg Dix by Conrad Kocher, tune of ‘As with gladness men of old’