Arwyn Ellis, your grandparents,
Rosemary and David, gladly
Welcome you, and fondly wish you
Years of happiness and kindness,
Nurtured in the faith of Jesus.
Keep yourself where you are safest,
As a lamb beside its mother,
Trusting in a faithful shepherd,
Every morning praying to Him.
Every morning as you waken
Let the sunshine of God’s favour
Lighten, warm up and attract you;
In each day enjoy its blessing
So that you will grow and prosper.
“I see hundreds and hundreds of ships
Sailing out of the harbour.”
But what ladings –
Precious gems discovered, emerald,
Ruby, sapphire, diamond and pearl.
Gold in its purity,
Silver refined; copper
Fired to value of gold.
Abundant spices, fragrant,
For their home-coming,
Myrrh, aloes, cassia…
Rich their sheets and tackle;
Billowing from the crosstrees,
Buoyant their pennons.
Tribute for their Master –
He comes from their destination
To their coming –
His Grace.
The first two lines are the last words of the poet George Mackay Brown.
The world is dried.
Its hope has died.
But a new life has filled our gaze
In One who, to eternal days,
Will draw out earth and heaven’s praise –
The Christ, the crucified.
The world is cold.
Its life grows old.
But a fresh world has filled our view
Where Christ, the Holy and the True,
Through whom God can make all things new
Will always be extolled.
The world is grim.
Its lights grow dim.
But saints are singing with delight
Since Jesus Christ has filled their sight
Until the ransomed host unite
In glorifying Him.
Through the death of His Son
God has made us His friends.
What a triumph He won
Through the death of His Son!
All the work has been done
To accomplish His ends:
Through the death of His Son
God has made us His friends.
Grace sometimes was the sunshine
Embracing with warmth.
Grace sometimes was the rainfall
Driving me homeward.
Grace sometimes was the rainbow
Spectral with promise.
Sometimes grace as a shepherd
Led me to green pastures.
But grace sometimes was a judge
Admonishing me.
And often grace was a nurse
With pills or pillows.
Grace always was a witness
To the heart of God.
For three days
and three nights
the Father had care
of the spirit that a crucified Man
entrusted to Him:
And that spirit
was the Lord Himself.
For thirty secret years
and more than three in service
the Son of Man displayed
that attitude and compassion,
in dry paths and chill houses,
that we call
the spirit of Christ.
From the glorified Man,
because Christ, as Man, had acceded
to being sent by the Father
has been sent the omnipotent Person
who gladly bears the title
the Spirit of Christ.
Through generations
persons freed by Christ
to be His bondmen
have given the testimony
more by their deeds than their words
that they shine with the spirit of Christ.
Once I was a gas-guzzler, belching fumes:
Grace has converted me to solar power.
I wandered through side-roads and cul-de-sacs:
Now grace gives satellite navigation.
My windscreen was translucent and shattered:
Grace replaced it, and broadened my vision.
My brakes could not restrain my headlong course:
Discs, pads, and fluid – grace replaced them all.
For my overheating engines and gears
Grace has abundance of coolant.
