Witness to His Salvation – 4th Sunday of Advent (Simeon’s Song)

This child I hold upon my knee
I’ve waited all my life to see.
God’s spirit, many years ago
told me I’d see His Christ, and so…
I’ve waited. Waited. Patiently

He’s come to set God’s people free
but how He does this may not be
what you expect, and you must know
for you: pain will accompany
this child I hold.

The Light to this dark world he’ll be
Ah Lord! Thank you for letting me
meet Jesus! Now Lord, let me go
unto my rest, for now you’ve shown
me who will save humanity:
This child I hold

Witnesses to His Coming – 3rd Sunday of Advent (The Shepherds)

You should have seen the stars that night
against a sky so vast and deep
we’d never seen them shine so bright
upon us and our flock of sheep

But then came something so profound
we all forgot the stars were there
in fear we fell down to the ground
all of us in great despair

An angel of the Lord Most High
stood mighty, tall, and far too near
we all believed that we would die
until he told us “Do not fear”

And then he told us wondrous news:
the One that we’ve been waiting for
the promised Saviour of the Jews
is here! We have to wait no more!

Then suddenly the sky was filled
with angels singing praise to God
no human choir is so skilled
it left us breathless, thrilled, and awed

Then just as quick they went away
but we recalled what we’d been told:
we’d find Him in a trough for hay
and not a palace filled with gold

So off to Bethlehem we went
to find The One who’d bring great joy
The One whom God Himself had sent
the Saviour King…an infant boy

When we had found that manger bed
and met the Holy Promised One
ev’n memories of angels fled
for we had met God’s only Son!

Witnesses to His Glory – 2nd Sunday of Advent (The Angelic Host)

When Eve and Adam ate the fruit
that grew on the forbidden tree
all Heaven knew an evil root
had surely doomed humanity

The angels must have wept that day
to see perfection wrecked by sin
Did they think God would turn away
believing Hell had scored a win?

Could even angels comprehend
our Heavenly Father’s wondrous plan
to bring Hell’s power to an end;
of how He’d deal with sinful man?

Perhaps they thought that they’d be sent
upon the earth with flaming sword
where they would all be Heaven bent
on righteous vengeance for the Lord

Did any angel up above
anticipate the Mighty One
would counter sin and death with love
by sending to the earth His Son?

But I know that they rejoiced to bring
to shepherds news of God’s great grace
proclaiming birth of Christ the King
with songs of loud exuberant praise!

Witnesses to His Promise – 1st Sunday of Advent (Zechariah and Mary)

I have been asked to write a series of poems for our church’s Advent season. I thought I would share them here with my readers as well.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and the topic of our church service today is “Witnesses to His Promise”, and the two Bible characters being looked at are Zechariah (father of John the Baptist), and Mary (mother of Jesus).  I have written 2 sonnets…one from the perspective of each of the above mentioned people.

~~

I’m Zechariah of the Levite tribe
and I am proud to be a priest of God
While serving in the Holy Place – I can’t describe…
what happened there still leaves me over-awed

My wife Elizabeth and I are old
our child-bearing years were long since done
and yet an angel came to me – and told
that soon I’d be a father to a son!

There’s nothing beyond God’s ability,
but that my faith is weak there’s no dispute
in my great doubt I asked, “How can this be?”
and for my disbelief I was struck mute

Until the birth of John: my precious son
who came to lead us to God’s Holy One!

~~

God’s messenger Gabriel visited
He called me favoured!…Said I’d bear God’s son!
I don’t know why I was so privileged
that God made me his special chosen one

Though of Judah’s tribe and King David’s line
I, Mary, am a peasant.  Nobody!
and yet…I was chosen by the Divine?
to be the mother of Divinity?

I am betrothed, but still a virgin…so…
the angel’s words confused me.  In wonder
I asked “How will this be?” Although
I somehow knew, YES!  I’d be a mother!

Though all the earth’s too small to grant him room
The One who made me moves inside my womb!

Psalm Sunday – Psalm 6

Here is my poetic response to Psalm 6. Following the poem, I have added a YouTube link to a musical rendition of this Psalm by the group Sons of Korah.  My wife introduced me to this band’s music, and I think that the tone they set for their cover of Psalm 6 is absolutely wonderful.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

~~

Oh LORD, you know that I am weak
temptation often masters me
and even when it’s good I seek
sin in my life is what I see

How can I face your holiness
when willfully I’ve left your path
I know LORD that my life’s a mess
and I deserve your righteous wrath

But can I praise you when I’m dead
if you destroy this sinful man?
LORD hear me groaning from my bed
and please forgive me if you can…

You can and have! Oh LORD my God!
I know my prayer is heard by you
You love me even though I’m flawed
you make me whole as though brand new!

Psalm Sunday – Psalm 5

I love form poetry. I love the discipline of restricting my words to a set meter and rhyme, and so I rarely write free verse.  I was hoping to write a rondeau for Psalm 5, but everything seemed too forced.  I started writing in other forms too,  but nothing seemed to come together (hence why I didn’t post anything last Sunday).  The fact that nothing would come together caused me to believe that God wanted me to meditate more on this particular Psalm.  So I ended up going in the free verse direction so you can see some of what came to me in my reading and rereading of these words of David’s.

~~

Was David speaking of himself
when he spoke of his enemies?
Was he, himself, the wicked one
that God must surely hate?
Were arrogance,deceit and malice
vices that he struggled with?

I wonder, Lord, for when he asks
to be led down straight paths
he says to you that it’s because
of enemies he faces

And I, oh Lord, like David know
that you detest all forms of sin
and sin abounds within me Lord, and yet…

Because, oh Lord, of your great love
I can come bow before your throne
and though my sin is as a grave,
yet still Lord, I can come to you
and sing for joy…
…for you give me new life

Parables of Earth – Part VIII

Hard work is needed for a crop to thrive,
and this labour does not instantly yield
results. It would be wrong, though, to arrive
at the conclusion: “toiling in this field
has no value.” Ask The Farmer who’s gone
through this process year after year. He’ll say
to you, “wait a week, then look once more on
this piece of earth. It won’t stay like today,
and in a few months you’ll see golden grain
where now you can only see the soil.
Wait for the results of the sun and rain
then enjoy the results of your toil.”
Although sometimes it may seem oh so slow
Those seeds that fall on fertile land will grow!

The painter’s praise

“Sing songs of praise!” The pastor said,
“extolling God above
for is there any better way
besides of course to stop and pray
to show to Him our love?”

And as he looked out at the crowd
they all rose up to sing
except one man, still sitting down
looked up and stated, with a frown,
“I have no song to bring”

Upset by this, the pastor asked,
“Why don’t you wish to praise?”
“I do not have a singing voice
so I don’t sing. That is my choice
yet glories still I raise!”

I paint, you see, and canvas is
where I see God most clear
with ev’ry brush stroke that I place
I breath His name and feel His grace
and know that He is near

At this the pastor paused and said,
“I see that you are right,
that praise in song is just one way
to tell God of our love each day
and walk within His light”

So maybe singing is your gift
Perhaps though it is not
My friend if praising is your aim,
we don’t all have to praise the same
Just praise with what you’ve got!

Philipians 2:6-11

In the church that I attend, or pastor taught us that many scholars believe that Philipians 2:6-11 was actually an early church hymn. I wanted to try my hand at turning the text into a poem/song. I haven’t set this to music yet, but here are the lyrics:

You were in very essence God
and could have worn a crown
but that’s not why you came to earth
and so you set that glory down

Becoming nothing for our sake
the flesh of man you wore
you chose to fill a servant’s role
though you were worthy of much more

Chorus:
In heights above and depths below
and here upon the earth
let each knee bend down at the name
and ev’ry tongue and voice proclaim
let praises and Hosannas flow
extolling Jesus’ worth

To please your Father was your aim
with each and ev’ry breath
you humbly sought to do his will
obeying even in your death

Willingly you faced the cross
and willingly you died
so God exalted you on high
to where you sit on His right side

Chorus:
In heights above and depths below
and here upon the earth
let each knee bend down at the name
and ev’ry tongue and voice proclaim
let praises and Hosannas flow
extolling Jesus’ worth

Shepherds: Part 5 – Bethlehem (Christmas Day)

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. -Lk 2:16-18, NIV

All at the same time they began to talk
“Let us go and do as the angel said!”
They quickly found a safe place for their flock
that they might go and find the manger bed

In Bethlehem the shepherds found the boy
exactly as the angel had foretold
and when they saw him, they were filled with joy:
this was their Saviour promised from of old!

that night before the Lamb those shepherds bowed
those keepers of the sheep a Shepherd sought
and then they could not help but speak aloud
about that infant in his straw filled cot

The shepherds’ whole world changed that Holy Night
and so they shared the News with great delight!