The Day is Past and Gone

1

The day is past and gone,

The evening shades appear;

O may we all remember well

The night of death draws near.

2

We lay our garments by,

Upon our beds to rest;

So death shall soon disrobe us all

Of what is here possessed.

3

Lord, keep us safe this night,

Secure from all our fears;

May angels guard us while we sleep,

Till morning light appears.

hear Aunt Molly Jackson sing it

Fill the World with People?

Does God want the world filled with human beings? Thinking about what C.S. Lewis said (in Screwtape Letters, one demon to another) "One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself..."

Will beat you up.

Jealousy

And most all of your sufferings

Are from believing

You know better than God.

Of course,

Such a special brand of arrogance as that

Always proves disastrous,

And will rip the seams

In your caravan tent,

Then cordially invite in many species

Of mean biting flies and

Strange thoughts-

That will

Beat you

Up.

- Hafez 1300s A.D.

All truth is God's truth.

Wounded Soldiers

"In love’s service, only the wounded soldiers can serve."

- James Stewart

Advent Song

EARTH was waiting, spent and restless,

 with a mingled hope and fear;

 and the faithful few were sighing,

 ‘Surely, Lord, the day is near;

 the Desire of all the nations,

 it is time He should appear.’

2 In the sacred courts of Zion,

 where the Lord had His abode,

 there the money-changers trafficked,

 and the sheep and oxen trod;

 and the world, because of wisdom,

 knew not either Lord or God.

3 Then the Spirit of the Highest

 on a virgin meek came down,

 and He burdened her with blessing,

 and He pained her with renown;

 for she bore the Lord’s Anointed,

 for His cross and for His crown.

4 Earth for Him had groaned and travailed

 since the ages first began;

 for in Him was hid the secret

 that through all the ages ran –

 Son of Mary, Son of David,

 Son of God, and Son of Man.

                                        -Walter Chalmers Smith, 1824-1908

Tune # 203

Abide with Me - full lyrics

Henry Francis Lyte (1793–1847)

 

 

ABIDE with me! fast falls the eventide, 

The darkness deepens: Lord, with me abide! 

When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, 

Help of the helpless, O, abide with me! 

 

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away; 

Change and decay in all around I see: 

O thou who changest not, abide with me! 

 

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word; 

But, as thou dwell’st with thy disciples, Lord, 

Familiar, condescending, patient, free, 

Come, not to sojourn, but abide with me! 

 

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings; 

But kind and good, with healing in thy wings; 

Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea; 

Come, Friend of sinners, and thus ’bide with me! 

 

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile; 

And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile, 

Thou hast not left me, oft as I left thee; 

On to the close, O Lord, abide with me! 

 

I need thy presence every passing hour: 

What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? 

Who like thyself my guide and stay can be? 

Through cloud and sunshine, O, abide with me! 

 

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness: 

Where is death’s sting? where, grave, thy victory? 

I triumph still if thou abide with me. 

 

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes, 

Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies. 

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee: 

In life and death, O Lord, abide with me! 

The Law of God is Good

The law of God is good and wise
And sets his will before our eyes,
Shows us the way of righteousness,
And dooms to death when we transgress.

Its light of holiness imparts
The knowledge of our sinful hearts
That we may see our lost estate
And seek deliv'rance ere too late.

To those who help in Christ have found
And would in works of love abound
It shows what deeds are his delight
And should be done as good and right.

When men the offered help disdain
And wilfully in sin remain,
Its terror in their ear resounds
And keeps their wickedness in bounds.

The law is good; but since the fall
Its holiness condemns us all;
It dooms us for our sin to die
And has no pow'r to justify.

To Jesus we for refuge flee,
Who from the curse has set us free,
And humbly worship at his throne,
Saved by his grace through faith alone.

Tune: Erhalt uns,Herr