Category: Church

Church in danger

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Revelation 3: 14-22
Hungry for the wielded sword,
relevant, rebuking Word,
boldly, lovingly applied,
nurturing each needy child.

Are we rich, or wretched, blind?
Preacher, say what’s on your mind:
be specific, make us search
each ourselves, – and as a church.

Searching hearts and thoughts, God’s Word
we must search, and seek our Lord –
buying gold, and salve to see,
growing, changing willingly.

Don’t pretend; we cannot bear
false assessment, hollow prayer.
Minor ailments left alone,
will soon lethally have grown.

You are free to disagree,
if you argue biblically;
but our church must move ahead, –
grow in grace, or soon lie dead.

Marriage and Christ’s love for his church

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(Ephesians 5)
Christ cherishes his church, – what care,
and sacrificial, saving love;
with tenderness, he will prepare
his Bride for life in heaven above:
Love’s mystery of shared delight,
preserving yoke for progress right.

His church with trembling love, and awe,
are glad they have a powerful Head:
they pray, submit, – his rule and law
are wise and good, – they’re safely led:
Love’s mystery of shared delight,
preserving yoke for progress right.

The pattern for our families:
respect, and love, kind leadership,
perceptive help, desire to please,
support with rich companionship:
Love’s mystery of shared delight,
preserving yoke for progress right.

When anxious irritations grow,
and love, agreement drift, then pray
Christ’s precious love to better know,
forbearance, care show day by day:
Love’s mystery of shared delight,
preserving yoke for progress right.

Tune: 88 88 88 Stella (Tune of ‘Leave God to order all Thy ways)

Beautiful Food

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How beautiful the feet which bring
good news of peace with God, the King;
and preachers gifted from above
are tokens of the Father’s love.

The harvest needs such labourers sent
by God to teach men to repent,
wield sword-like Word, convict of sin,
and news of Jesus Christ to bring.

God’s people need to learn, and grow
in righteousness, God’s wisdom know;
be fed on Christ, the living Bread,
and in their Bible study led.

So pray that Christ his gifts will give,
equip his church to brightly live,
shine forth with light to those around,
in love and purity abound.
Tune: LM eg Herongate (English Traditional Melody arr B Croft)

Shepherds … (3 John & Ezekiel 34)

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Are you concerned for what the flock is needing?
seeking the strays, and searching for the lost,
strengthening the weak and sick, the hungry feeding:
genuine care that doesn’t count the cost.

Looking, not only to your own position;
thinking, not merely how to gain applause;
pride can be subtle, – time will test profession
of true desire to serve the Shepherd’s cause.

Dangers surround, with pressures on the gifted:
love of pre-eminence, or fake lowliness,
from God alone dependence partly shifted,
to leaning on position and success.

Diotrephes: malicious, not concerned for
truth of God’s Word, and love, and faithfulness.
Gaius, Demetrius: souls that prospered, burned for
God’s honour and his people’s happiness.
Tune: 11 10 11 10 eg ‘O perfect love’ by Joseph Barnby

Glad to go to church

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cf. Psalm 122
Tired of godlessness and spite,
longing for the place of light,
fellowship, and words of God:
foretaste of the home ahead.

Place of strength and unity,
place of peace and purity,
place of love, forgiveness, grace:
shadow of that heavenly place.

For its safety pray, its peace
(all divisiveness to cease);
worship and prosperity,
comfort and security.

A tale of 2 churches

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A thriving church, and a declining church in danger
(1 Thessalonians 1:2,3 with Revelation 2:1-7)
A thriving church delights my soul
– strong hope, and love and faith
directs their dedicated toil
while serving Christ on earth.

But when that love has faded, fled,
the works may seem the same,
but not to Christ, the Master, Head:
and much will be in vain.

What causes Christ displeasure, pain?
Has any pride crept in?
Self pity, jealousy brings shame,
and bitter thoughts begin.

Take your complaints to Christ in prayer.
Keep fellowship with him,
and ask he will your love repair,
prevent decline within.

We all must search our hearts, but try
within our church to share
concern that each of us apply
God’s Word with love and care.
Tune: CM Colchester or Kilmarnock

Unity of the children of God

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on Ephesians 4:3-6
Make every effort, keep the unity:
one church, one body, formed by One divine, –
one Holy Spirit now fulfils God’s plan
making his temple – with one hope, sublime.

One Lord, unique; one mighty Son of God:
born as a babe, lived sinlessly on earth,
rose out of death, his Word and call unique:
one Life, one Saviour, one escape from death.

Only one Way, one way of faith in Christ:
no other righteousness, – our own defiled.
One in confession, willingly baptised,
standing united with his church world-wide.

One God, one Father, to whom all must come,
only one Sovereign One who’s will abides.
One who indwells each member of his church,
Ruler who every destiny decides.

Make every effort, keep the unity
of this his church to which by grace you’ve come,
bound by the Spirit in the bond of peace, –
one God, one faith, one hope, one in the Son.
Tune: 10 10 10 10 eg Woodlands by W Greatorex,
or Morecambe by F C Atkinson

Broken families

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James 1:27
Women deserted, or men pushed away:
struggling mothers, hard-pressed every day: –
children alone and hungry for care,
longing for parents with time to spare.
A welcoming Saviour, his church that shares
– supporting those striving at role-repairs.

A New Guide in Relationships (Colossians 3:8-16)
Relationships broken, and love turned to hate:
let down and belittled, and none to placate.
New friendships ( – now wiser? ), – regrets are too late;
but come near to Jesus, he knows all your state,
and can bring you healing – the only fresh start
that really can function has Christ in your heart
to guide in your friendships, and wisdom impart.
And all you have done that was wrong and unkind,
confessed, and put off, with God’s Word in your mind.