“Get me out of here!”

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cf Psalm 120

I’m in great trouble and distress,
I need your help, O Lord;
fake promises surround, depress,
and brazen lies are heard.

They say you are not, or don’t care,
no intervening Lord:
your grace and judgement you declare –
refreshing, truthful Word.

And I am prone to live out lies,
be devious, false, untrue
before your holy, seeing eyes –
please help me turn to you

in honesty repent and press
on with you in your Way,
away from all this emptiness,
in peace and truth, obey.

Tune: DCM

Myth-morphed history (re Gilgamesh epic)

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In the Gilgamesh epic tale
(like many
global flood legends,
the world over) –

–  frightening the sending council of squabbling gods,
by its ferocity,
(struggling with itself
like a woman writhing in labour)
as it covered the earth;
– and they starved during the flood
while there were none around, able to
offer sacrifices to them (?!);
Utnapishtim was warned by the god
who made man, and told to build a boat
that was cube-like
(which would be ridiculously unstable!)
– how odd –,
and to take in all kinds of living creatures
and seal it with pitch, then enter with his family
and a few others.
When the flood receded,
the ark lodged on a mount,
and birds were sent out to test
the state of the receding waters,
(though in a less logical order than in the Bible account).

Genesis:
One God;
mankind had turned to wickedness and anarchy:
God spoke:
told Noah he must build an ark,
of measurements
now shown to make
a shape both large and stable,
amazingly optimal,
capable,
for the coming conditions,
and to house the range
of land animals, safely, securely.

God, stern, but merciful,
warning, giving time
before the disaster,
but no-one outside Noah’s family
believed and asked for refuge.

Tale retold orally,
assimilated aurally,
mythicised verbally
for simplicity?
for dramatic effect?
but pointing back to the reality
that historically
actually,
factually
there was a great and global flood
at the time of Noah.

The Allegory of Aslan’s Sacrifice

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As Aslan died instead
of Edmund, who’d betrayed,
so only Jesus could redeem
each one who’d disobeyed.

Only the King himself,
the perfect one alone,
who had no wrong thing ever done,
could take my place, atone.

The temple showed how God
is separate from sin,
and all that is not pure and good:
we could not come to him.

The curtain barred the way,
to the most holy place,
but when Christ died, it broke in two –
he reconciled by grace.

His body broken meant
the barrier’s broken down,
so through his bearing punishment
we can approach God’s throne.

What awesome thing is this?
to now be welcomed in
to friendship with the Holy One,
the Sovereign God, our King!

tune: DSM

Certain Hope Reliable

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Unfounded hope,
a rotted rope,
to hold in stormy sea,
a cobweb frail
to no avail –
a hope as weak as me.

Oh, why deny
a God on high,
the God his Son disclosed?
a God who’ll teach,
and all can reach,
before whom all’s exposed.

His power clothed earth,
and conquered death –
only the meek reach out
who know their need
to trust and plead:
of hope secure they shout!

Tune: CM eg ‘Amazing Grace’

God spoke, from the beginning

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For fellowship no longer fit –
see how they tried to hide,
but in that perfect place they now
could not, must not abide.
God spoke – his words were stern, but showed
that he would one day bring
a way of mercy so they could
approach the holy King.

God spoke when Cain, in jealousy
his brother Abel killed;
and when with violent godlessness
and evil, earth was filled,
God spoke to Noah of his grief  –
he’d send a world-wide flood,
but told him how to build a vast
safe vessel out of wood.

God spoke to Abram, so that he
might pass the teaching on
to his descendants, who’d expect,
await the Christ to come.
God spoke through prophets to rebuke
unkindness, pride and greed,
and taught them to turn back, and pray
for mercy, grace in need.

God spoke how he would come one day,
to teach, redeem and save,
foretold Messiah’s birth and death,
and then the empty grave.
And so God spoke by his own Son,
the Priest, the living Word
– himself revealing: will his words
be scorned, repressed, ignored?

DCM eg Noel tune of ‘It came upon a midnight clear’
‘In the past God spoke … at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son …” Hebrews 1:1,2

Remembering What God has done (on Psalm 107)

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‘Whoever is wise let him attend to these things; …  consider the steadfast love of the Lord’ Psalm 107:43 as reminded in the rest of that Psalm

Remember what God’s love can do,
his steadfast love can shatter through
the binding dark, enslaving sin,
and life and love and freedom bring.

Think again! think again!
of all God’s love to sinful men!
Remember what his love can do,
give thanks for steadfast love to you:
Think and praise! think and praise!
for all his strong and loving ways!

Some lonely, restless, and athirst,
drift in unsettled wilderness,
but when they cry in faith for help,
he rescues out of such distress.

If you rebel against God’s words,
despising truth and laws revealed,
his mercy slighted, then you find
your growing plight is unrelieved;

but in this desperate estate,
turn, trust, and in your anguish cry –
he’ll rescue out of darkness, gloom,
and break your chains, rich grace supply.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for  he is good; his love endures for ever … they cried to their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”
Psalm 107:verse 6

tune: Happy Day LM +refrain

Mercy and Rule (on Psalm 110)

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Where is the kingdom of the Lord?
the victory divine?
accomplishing by powerful Word,
immutable design?
Mysterious mercy: mutineers
transformed invisibly –
a multitude of volunteers
now serve Christ willingly.

Astonishing and splendid grace
that gives the blind true sight
to gladly turn and leave the ranks
of hostile, hopeless night.
The Son is promised Priest and King,
and perfect Sacrifice.
He’s at Jehovah’s side to bring
his help for my distress.

Enthroned in heaven, his rule extends
amidst his enemies –
he saves, but when forbearance ends,
he’ll crush his foes with ease.
Magnificent display of power,
his final Day of war;
Christ will not faint in conquest’s hour,
– we’ll praise him evermore

The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.
… Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, … (Psalm 110:1,3)

Tune: DCM eg tunes of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ – Forest Green (English Traditional Melody arr by Ralph Vaughan Williams ) or Christmas Carol by H W Davies

Mary meets Elizabeth

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A leap of joy from a foetal boy,
his mother stirred to prophetic word
for the mother of Jesus had come,
(the Son of God enclosed in her womb).

Mary sang of God’s praise
and redeeming ways,
of her poor position,
and sinful condition,
of blessed experience,
God’s touch and sustenance
as taught in his Word,
and by Gabriel revealed;

those who approach him in reverent fear
find his rescuing mercy is near
but those who ignore, no regard for his name
are scattered, judged, empty, and end up in shame;
sang of covenant mercy to Abraham’s seed,
Messiah is coming to meet all our need.

“… and blessed is the child you will bear” … “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble estate of his servant …  His mercy extends to those who fear him … he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. … remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever, even as he said to our fathers. “ Luke 1:39-56

Noel, Good News!

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In the past God spoke to our fore-fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heri of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Hebrews 1:1,2


There is a mighty Sovereign God
transcendent, yet concerned
for men and women, boys and girls,
revealing all we’ve learned
by teaching through the prophets down
the years to Is-ra-el,
and finally he sent his Son
– Jesus – good news, No-el.

DCM eg  ‘Noël’, tune of ‘He came upon a midnight clear’

Reasons to Praise

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Wholehearted praise, through all my days;
reflective gaze, on all your ways:
creation beautiful I see,
and purchased full salvation free.

Your grace has taught of freedom bought –
your peace we sought, by mercy caught;
taste help each day, delight to stay,
to fellowship, and walk your way.

Rejoice, content for you are near,
from condemnation cleansed and clear,
pardoned, no judgement need to fear,
upheld, preserved to persevere.

From hearts made wise, our songs arise,
and praises swell, of him to tell
who is the universe’s King,
kind Sovereign over everything.

‘I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing to your name, O Most High.’ Psalm 9:1,2

Tune: LM eg Morning Hymn by F H Barhelemon (tune of  ‘Awake, my soul, and with the sun’ )
or Duke Street by J Hatton (tune of ‘Fight the good fight’)