Last night's service included this hymn, which seemed to speak into the world we inhabit...
The one who longs to make us whole
Is waiting to embrace
Our broken lives, so we can know
The power of healing grace.
God's love surrounds our suffering,
And keeps us through the night;
God helps us bear our deep despair
Till we see morning light.
The one who saves us from ourselves
Is waiting to release
Our hearts from chains of self-reproach
And failure to find peace.
When harmful habits leave us bruised,
Distraught by inner pain,
God comes to us through trusted friends,
And help us hope again.
The one who understands our need
Accepts us as we are;
And, like a loved one, welcomes us
When we have wandered far.
God never says we come too late
To be forgiven, free
But promises we can become
The self we're meant to be.
Edith Sinclair Downing, (c) Edith Sinclair Downing
Sources: Church Hymnary (4th Ed) or Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise
DCM; set tune (CH4) Third Mode Melody, Tallis
Comments
Thankyou, I needed to read that. I love those words - we sing them to the tune "Kingsfold" otherwise known as "The star of the County Down" which makes it even more powerful.
CH4 has some great words in it, I used to have great fun hunting for tunes to go with them
Just beautiful and so appropriate to our broken lives, broken communities and broken world. God longs to embrace all, heal all, redeem all, restore all - to make this world into his Kingdom.