EXPRESSION

Since every moral attribute of God
And all God’s nature’s depths had been expressed
Upon this earth as Jesus humbly trod
In service, and the truth had been confessed,
The expression reached its solemn culmination
Upon the cross, through which we have been blessed,
And all that Christ expressed finds culmination,
And has repose, in Christ in exaltation.

THRONE

The Lord God will give Him the throne
Of David His father;
To reign in the midst of His own,
The saints He shall gather.

The earth shall acknowledge His right
And all things will flourish;
His sway will be grace, to give light,
To comfort and nourish.

The hills will be covered with corn
And no perturbation
Will menace His close, reborn
And Spirit-filled nation.

SEEING A MAN

Seeing a Man
Who harboured in His heart
The detail of God’s will,
And forged out thus to do it,
God is satisfied
In Jesus.

Seeing a Man,
Light to a heart’s dark,
Food to a famished heart,
Joy to its grimness
I am satisfied
In Jesus.

Seeing a man
Acquired at the cost of His blood,
Clad in His excellence,
Blessed and re-forged by His Spirit
Jesus is satisfied
In me.

SWEETNESS

Among computers or washing,
Pens, basins, or branches
There is a Man who will
Bring sweetness.

Among catheters and scalpels,
Even graves and coffins,
There is a Man who will
Bring sweetness.

Among saints and angels,
And the splendours of heaven,
There is a Man who will
Bring sweetness.

LOVE

The love of God sought
Persons for it to love, and
Made them loveable.

THE MAN

I love the Man who died for me
Not only for that death
But for a love of such degree,
Which gives me life and breath.

GOSPEL

This is God’s beloved Son,
Hear Him;
God gave judgment to this One,
Fear Him;
Knowing all that He has done
And the triumph He has won
Sinner, seeking mercy, run
Near Him!

Be a sinner saved by grace
Through Him;
In your life give Him the space
Due Him;
He is ready for your case -
Mustered to a heavenly race:
There upon the highest place
View Him!

WELCOME

"It is wonderful
That when we get to heaven
We shall be welcomed."

picked our from Ministry of F E Raven, vol 12 p 441.

RISEN

I can’t believe it,
Said the soldier.
All this cash for not telling the truth
When the truth is
I was too scared to know what was happening!

I quite believe it,
Said the priest.
Quash it, lie, bribe
Anything so long as
We don’t have that Man to reign over us!

He is not here,
Said the young man in white.
Behold the place
Where they had put Him.

Do we believe it?
Asked the women.
And what is there for us to believe?
We are seized by fear and questions.

I believe,
Said the beloved disciple.
For the tomb was orderly,
All distinctiveness, as
He would have left it.

He is risen,
Said Mary.
I have seen Him:
He spoke of His Father
As our Father, of His God
As our God.

Now I believe,
Said the doubter Thomas.
Not merely as a believer.
He has made me a worshipper -
My Lord and My God!

HOUSE

In the Father's house
All is normal, and nothing
Is ordinary.

LOVE

A Saviour’s love has reached for me
When I was swamped by sin;
He plucked me from the sweeping sea
And made me warm within.

A Shepherd’s love has shouldered me,
Guided when ways were rough,
Herded me on the mountain’s lee
And over-filled my trough.

A Father’s love has brought me up
And given me its best,
Through Christ I live, on Him I sup
And in Him I am blest.

The Spirit’s love works in my heart
That God’s love may be spread.
By Him Christ chooses to impart
His impetus as Head.

NAME

No other name has the prestige,
And none could ever have the lustre,
Of His who is my Lord and Liege.
 
Above men’s pettiness and bluster
More than a snow-capped mountain peak:
These are some plaudits it can muster -

Splendid, all-conquering, unique,
Tender, attractive and sublime.
It is beyond what men can seek,

It cannot fade with death and time
But billows forward like a banner.
It tells of God’s great paradigm

Of what will last in grace and manner
Before the Father for His pleasure.
And as the Father is the planner

In realms that are beyond man’s measure
He is the One who has secured
His own as God’s eternal treasure;

And it is He who has endured
The cross with all its pain and shame,
And He by whom we are allured:

Jesus! there is no nobler Name!
Jesus! will have unending fame!

WEALTH

When I was as impoverished as a beggar in a ditch

The Son of God came up to me, raised me, and made me rich;

He gave me treasures far surpassing all that I had lost

And told me in His grace that He Himself had borne the cost.

When I came to the Father, impecunious and distressed,

He welcomed me, He kissed me and He clothed me in the best;

He took away the filthy rags worn from the distant land

And gave me sandals for my feet, His ring to deck my hand.

The Holy Spirit has the wealth of heaven in His care

Available for all the saints who own Christ Lord to share;

He decorates and dignifies the features of the bride,

Then helps her grace the place that she will have at Jesus’ side.

Now unto God who made us rich, whose giving is immense,

There rises our responsive praise, our nard and frankincense;

To Him who is the source of all we gladly bow the knee

And willingly acknowledge “of Thine own we give to Thee”.

THE MIGHTY GOD

In light unclouded dwells the mighty God,
His glory all creation doth proclaim;
A Spirit - love and light, the Holy One -
Who is, who was, who it to come, the Same!

The only glorious, the eternal God,

Who ever lived before beginnings were!

All heaven's constellations pale before

The glory of the One who set them there!

The Triune God, almighty, yet unseen;

The ever holy, holy, holy One

Whose word existence to creation gave,

When dwelling in eternity alone!

What joy it is to contemplate Thyself
In Christ revealed, the everlasting God!
To learn Thy wisdom, search Thy matchless grace;
To worship Thee, as saints redeemed by blood!

To see Thy glory in the face of Christ,
And without let enjoy - in heav'n above,
In realms of cloudless light and joy and peace -
Thine own unending, changeless, perfect love!

Another great E.H. Chater hymn.  You can find more at:

  http://goodteaching.org/hymn/index.php

UNFATHOMABLE LOVE

O Lord, the knowledge of Thy love

Doth bow our hearts to Thee above;

Before Thy face we prostrate fall,

Whose wondrous glory shines for all.

We worship, praise Thee and adore,

Exalt Thy Name for evermore!

Thy church, Thy body and Thy bride,

With Thee, the Christ, identified -

Espoused to Thee, a virgin chaste,

While travelling still this dreary waste -

Finds in Thyself her hope, her all!

She waits to hear her bridegroom call.

He comes! The longed-for, glorious Lord,

Whose Name by all shall be adored!

He comes to take His bride on high,

To share to all eternity

The fruits of God's eternal plan,

Before the age of time began.

The heav'n and earth, the sea and land,

Display the pow'r of God's own hand,

And all His matchless moral ways

Redound for ever to His praise;

But in this glorious mystery

Unfathomable love we see.

I thought I'd share another of E.H. Chater's great hymns today.

MIGHTY NOW TO SAVE

Blest Son of God, Thou holy One above,

In whom both love and light with truth combine;

Seated and crowned in yonder world of love,

In Thy blest face we see God's glory shine.

We bless The for the love which brought Thee down

From Godhead glory to the cross of woe!

Thou who on earth as Man didst win renown,

For Thou by death didst Satan's power lay low.

Thy cross, blest Lord! what unsearched depths of love

Are told, when God's sharp judgement-sword awoke!

And, darkness all around, from Him above

On Thee, O Saviour, fell the dreadful stroke!

"'Tis finished!" See the Father glorified,

Whose glory claimed Thee from the gloomy grave!

Exhalted we behold Thee at His side,

The crownèd Victor, mighty now to save.

I enjoyed this hymn by E H Chater (1845-1915) and thought I would share it.

THE ARK AT REST

All God's inheritance is richly blest
Since, in the temple Solomon prepared,
The Ark of God is finally at rest.

Round it a system God chose to invest
With glory which will never be impaired
‑All God's inheritance‑  is richly blest.

It led the way in every storm or test
But now, past all the trials which they shared,
The Ark of God is finally at rest.

Since God's great wisdom knew which way was best
And He was there beside them as they fared
All God's inheritance is richly blest.

His people praise the Lord with joy and zest
As, while His lasting triumph is declared,
The Ark of God is finally at rest.

Because God knew the object of their quest
Before they ventured, and in all things cared,
All God's inheritance is richly blest;
The Ark of God is finally at rest.







This is another villanelle.

PHINEHAS

To pious minds all seemed to fall apart
But Phinehas remained before the Ark
Though others' lanterns faltered into dark
And coldness crept across the nation's heart.

Dan turned to images of human art;
Benjamin flicked and guttered to a spark;
To pious minds all seemed to fall apart
But Phinehas remained before the Ark.

Their enemies all sought to seize a part
Of Israel, each voracious as a shark;
Would all be lost? Tossed like a feeble barque
Israel seemed ignorant of star or chart ‑
But Phinehas remained before the Ark.


Judges 20: 27-28

WILL YOU?

God’s grace is for you to receive;
It’s more than human words can tell -
Will you, in simple faith, believe?

Christ came in mercy to relieve
Your soul of sin and death and hell -
God’s grace is for you to receive!

What triumphs Christ came to achieve,
And all He’s done He has done well -
Will you, in simple faith, believe?

Satan is active to deceive
As he caused Adam to rebel;
God’s grace is for you to receive.

He promises He will not leave
His saints until near Him, they dwell;
Will you, in simple faith, believe?

His grace will bless and will not grieve:
Come, buy of Him and do not sell!
God’s grace is for you to receive;
Will you, in simple faith, believe?

THE GIVING OF THE SON

God has met the sin of man
In the giving of the Son.
To fulfil His glorious plan
God has met the sin of man .
Love before the world began
Knew the victory Christ has won;
God has met the sin of man
In the giving of the Son.






This one is a triolet.

BEHOLD THE MAN!

“Behold the Man!” poor Pilate cried,
Knowing the Master’s innocence:
And centuries of saints replied:
    “Behold the Man!”

Betrayed by Judas, and denied,
Scourges by the Romans – how immense
The sufferings of the Crucified!

Yet much more awful and intense
His sufferings before He died.
Drinking all He can now dispense
    Behold the Man!







This one is a roundel.

VOYAGE

God is working in the Son
And the Son is His ideal;
Through the One who set the keel
He has made the vessel run.

He through whom the voyage begun
Will unlade the laden creel:
God is working in the Son
And the Son is His ideal.

Soon the journey will be done
And the morning will reveal
Christ’s eternal fresh appeal;
Till that verdant shore is won
God is working in the Son.


Another rondel.

LORD, WE CANNOT GO AWAY

Lord, we cannot go away -
Thou hast words of life eternal;
Powers both earthly and infernal
Cannot lure us - we will stay.

In each word that Thou dost say
Love is at the very kernel:
Lord, we cannot go away -
Thou hast words of life eternal;

Love that guards us from dismay;
Love from God which is paternal;
Love of saints which is fraternal;
Love which bears us all the way:
Lord, we cannot go away.


This is a Rondel - how do you like these set forms?

SENSES

Blest Spirit, help increase my appetite

For Jesus whom Thou dost present as food;

I long to savour more of this delight

Since I have tasted that the Lord is good.

Thou didst, blest Spirit, open up my ear

To hear the Saviour when I was astray;

Help me to listen and have ears to hear

Thy word to the assemblies day by day.

Though Moses died His eyesight did not dim -

O Spirit of the Lord control my sight

That with my eyes exclusively on Him

My body always may be full of light.

The Lord of life has touched me in my need:

He lifted me and set me up through grace -

Blest Spirit, help me handle well I plead

The substance of this elevated place.

A life entirely for the Father's will

And death entirely to the Father's mind

Rose as a fragrance - may, blest Spirit, still

Such fragrance rise from those Thou hast refined.

PATH

Like a luminous ribbon,
Stretching forward,
Yard by yard increasing
In fluorescence
     and phosphorescence
The path of the righteous
Advanced toward
Perfect day.

CROSS

In the cross, I have
God perfectly revealed - all
That God is brought out.

NEW YEAR

A new year has begun
In which to work and play,
To learn and to have fun
Throughout each happy day.

A year in which to live,
Enjoy life to the full,
Receive and love and give -
And even go to school!

A year in which to go
To Jesus as your Friend
As glad of One you know
On whom you can depend.

A year in which to rest
Within the Shepherd's care,
To learn that He knows best
And guards you everywhere.


Written for Marianne, when she was 4.