Theology of the Sacraments

 Life is sweet and death is cold

And, though the world is hard to tread,

The morning glow and sunset red

And Earth’s bright treasures manifold

Say, Life is sweet and death is cold.

Love is warm and hate is chill

And, though the world is strange and proud,

Yet like a rainbow shines the cloud

When eyes and lips and laughter still

Say, Love is warm and hate is chill.

 

Life is sweet and love is warm,

And what of all the woes that come

When Winds are loud and birds are dumb?

Forget the woes and, for a charm,

Say, Life is sweet and love is warm.

 

D.M. Baillie, Theology of the Sacraments

 

O Worship the King

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being {Psalm 104:33 NASB}.

O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.


O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is His path on the wings of the storm.


Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!

Author: Robert Grant (1833)

Unfathomable

God’s unfailing Love, who can fathom

This grace so freely given to creatures made of dust

How can I even know or understand how I caught Your gaze?

What could I have possibly done to earn this grace?

Who can know your glory?

I have nothing to offer to answer for such favor, it is unfathomable
For I see myself and repent in sackcloth and ashes
Only this…that worthy is the Lamb of God, hallelujah!
Lord, you are to be exalted for You reign!

The Bread and the Wine

The Bread and the Wine

Poem by George Herbert

Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack from my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning, if I lacked any thing.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here: Love said, You shall be he. I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear, I cannot look on thee. 

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply, who made the eyes but I?

Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame go where it doth deserve.

And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?

My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat: So I did sit and eat.

Love (III) 

By George Herbert

An Advent Poem

The season is upon us Advent is here

I hope for the day that You will appear

You came to earth to dwell among

Immanuel, God with us, Heaven’s Song

Lord we prepare our hearts to receive You

You are the hope of Israel, and our hope too

God our Savior, the promised One from old

The Word from the beginning, arrival foretold

We will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace 

The angels deliver the message, our joy will never cease

The Christ Child has arrived goodwill toward all men

Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Our joy is full amen!

For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son

We were all sinners, lost, gone astray, undone

A stable in Bethlehem received the Holy Child

Not in pomp and circumstance, but meek and mild

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away our sin

The radiance of God's glory and the image of His being, 

The sinless Servant and redeemer wrapped as a baby boy

Glory to God in the highest, it is good news of great joy

in the city of David, born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

Piper Green © 2016

You Are Faithful

Oh Lord, thank You for not leaving me, when I left You

Lord thank You for being my friend, when I turned away
Lord, thank You for Your Faithfulness, when I was unfaithful
Lord thank You for Loving me, when I am unlovable

Thank You Lord for not letting go- when I made it easy for you to do so....

Piper Green

© 2013

My Passion

I stand here and look up to a cross on a hill

All of creation was in chaos but yet I was still

Amazed at the way you were beaten and torn

How could they hate you and show you only scorn?

Do they know that you did this out of such love?

Do they know you were sent here from above?

Yet it must be done so that all is as you have said

Oh Lord your torn body and the thorns in your head!

Oh Lord I helped drive that nail through your hand

Because we all turned away and sinned every man

You were led away as a lamb to the slaughter

Yet you did it to redeem every son and daughter

Oh Lord I pray let not your death be in vain

Or that I take for granted your suffering and pain

May I be faithful to you up until death

May I never deny you till I take my last breath

This was my passion I knew I must die

But not for long would I in a grave lie

For every person of creation was before my face

As I gladly died to pour out God’s grace

I was crucified so that all people will be

Chosen, cleansed and set apart for me

I long to know you and to call you my friend

So that we will be together always to the end

I gave you my body I Am the Bread of Life

Your are my spotless bride my beloved wife

I gave my blood poured out just for you

When you drink you are free, cleansed and anew

Take my body and blood in remembrance of me

Remember that I died to set every person free

I long to commune with you and call you by name

I paid the price so that you will never be the same

Piper Green

©2004