Saturday, December 26, 2009

Grace to You

This song was written by our former pastor, John Hendrix.
Grace to you.
Grace to you.
God's great grace to you.
As you walk through your life, in joy or in strife,
God's grace, God's grace to you.


Peace to you.
Peace to you.
God's great peace to you.
As you walk through your life, in joy or in strife,
God's peace, God's peace to you.

Love to you.
Love to you.
God's great love to you.
As you walk through your life, in joy or in strife,
God's love, God's love to you.

Song found on page 663 of the Baptist Hymnal.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

From the Valley of Vision

I offer this prayer after yet another sorrow....

"LORD, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.


Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to posess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that

the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine;

Let me find Thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
Thy joy in my sorrow,
Thy grace in my sin,
Thy riches in my poverty,
Thy glory in my valley."

Amen.

*from the book Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions