Rescue

Rescue the lost,
Look carefully
For them.

Rescue the lost,
Find them
And bring them in.

Rescue the lost,
Help them all
Find God's love.

People

People
Are more important than things!

Thanks be to God
For such friends
As those around me
Who accept me
As I am.

Thanks be to God
For friends
That are so caring
And loving.
Thanks be to God!

Forgiveness

Let go of the hurt
And forgive
Those who have
Hurt you in anyway,

Let go of the pain,
Move on along
And walk the path
In peace and love.

Let go of the anger
And let God lead
In he way
That you should go.

Forgive Others

Forgive others
In big and small things
That in your heart
Love might grow.

Forgive others
Each and every day
That your soul
Might stronger grow.

Forgive others
And learn the lessons
Of what true love
Really is.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

To Forgive

To forgive yourself
Is to find the way
To inner peace.

To forgive others
Is to find the way
To love.

Come n

Come in, dear God,
Come in.
For I would
Have your presence
In my life.
I find that I
Cannot live
Without you near;
So come in
And dwell with me,
That my life
Will be made
More full.

Stand Back

Stand back
And let God work
And be prepared
To be surprised
At what God will do!

Stand back
And watch carefully
For God
Will always do
The unexpected!

Spread Love

To fight back
Against wars,
Find ways
To spread love
Around the world.
Tell those around,
"I love you."
Or if you cannot say it,
Do something
Like a (Hug),
Or help the person
In something
They need.
Let's get together
And spread love
Around the world!!

Reaction to Wars

I can hear
The people cry out
For release
From the prisons
Where they now
Do dwell.
But will
Those in charge
Hear their cries
And do what is
Really needed there?

Wars

Wars are coming,
People fighting
Among themselves
Just so they can live
The way they want

Wars rage,
And the people
That live all around
Cannot learn
To get along.

Wars are here,
And people forget
How to live in peace
One with the other
And in love.

Know the Truth

Know the truth,
The truth
About God's love
And you shall
Be freed.
For God's love
Is there for all
And no one
Can take
That love
From us.

Doing God's Will

We are always reluctant to do what God wants.  Can we finally learn to hear God's voice?
Can we learn what God's will for us is?


God wills,
We pull away.
God calls,
We turn away.
God pleads,
We say we cannot.
But finally
We come
To do God's will.

Questions

How can we become one in Christ when some push all others away?
How can we teach trust if we don't know enough about trust ourselves?
How do we learn to trust God fully?

Darkness

Darkness lies about me,
But I shall fear not,
For the sun
Will rise again
And give me light
That I might see
The path
That is before me.
The darkness is thick about me
And like a blanket
Shuts out all light.
But I shall fear not
For my God, the light of my life,
Shall not leave me alone
In the darkness.
He comes,
And the night is as day,
And I shine in His glory
Like the moon shines
In the light and glory
Of the sun.
Then the darkness
Is no more,
For my God
Is my sun.

The Winds of Time

The winds of time
Blow across the years
And everything does change.
Too swiftly now
The times go by,
Too swiftly now
The years do fly,
And everyone grows too fast.
For yesterday, it seems
That I was but a child
With no responsibility
And little to worry me.
While today an older version
Of that child lives,
Lives and worries every day
About everything around.
Slow down, oh years,
Blow not so hard, oh winds.
For I need time
To catch my breath
Andto look down
The corridor of time
To try to see what the future holds.
                                                                                            

The Lonely

Ah - see them there, the lonely.
See her sitting there
Among the crowds, with the people,
Yet alone and lonely.
See him walking
Along the shadowed path
With people on all sides,
Yet alone and lonely.
They walk alone,
Lonely for companionship,
For a true friend;
Yet they are scared,
Scared lest anyone
See their loneliness
And take pity on them.
So they hide their loneliness
Behind a facade of happiness
Pretending they are not
Alone and unhappy.
Yet they cry, though not aloud,
To be noticed and liked
If only for a time.
To be liked for what they are
And not for what they seem to be.
See them there - the lonely;
See them and notice - the lonely.

Push

Problems with life?
Worries everywhere?
Stop for a while
And say a prayer.

Troubles abounding?
Seems no one cares?
Sit down awhile;
Just keep praying.

Still have problems?
Stop a moment
And just push -
Pray Until Something Happens!

Dear God:

I hear your people
Talking in the day.
Their questions haunt me
By the night.
Come to us now
And show us all
What your answers are.

Signs?

When Christ comes again...
What signs are we waiting for?
Will we know when we see the signs?
Will we know what to do?
What signs are coming to us?

Expecting

What are we expecting?
Will we see what is coming?
Will what we expect be what or who is coming?
Will we know when the kingdom is near?
Will we recognize God's coming when it is here?
Will Jesus come in the way WE expect?

Bridge

Let us build a bridge
Between each other.
Build a bridge of love
And let all others in;
That they may
Come to the love
Of God.

And Love

And love
Is ours.
There is no doubt,
No wondering
About it.
God's love
Is ours
To have and hold
Unconditionally.

Do Not

Do not turn away,
See me.
Do not walk away,
Feed me.
Do not ignore me
Clothe me.
For I am also
God's child.

What If

What if we did
What we said
That we believed?

What if all people
Were accepted
As children of God?

What if we let
All people see
Christ in us?

Joy

Joy,
Let your joy
Show,
Sing out
And praise
Our God
In joy.

Celebrate!

Celebrate life!
Come and dance
And sing with me
For God's love
Is given
To us all!
The creator - God,
Is here among us,
Giving love
To us all.
Celebrate,
Celebrate life!

Who to Feed?

Who will we feed,

Will we see the poor

And help them?

Who will we feed,

Do we know that God

Can be trusted to help?

Who will we feed,

Will we learn to share

With all people?

God Is:

Father to me,
And strong Right arm;
My protector
And strength is He.

Mother to me,
Gentle, calming touch;
Always there
In time of need.

Leader for me,
Showing me the way;
Helping me to find
The proper path.

Love there for me,
Encircling me always;
Never letting me stray
Away from that love.

Comes the cry,

"God doesn't love me,

How can that be,

I am too different!"

But comes back

An answer from God,

"It does not matter

How different you are,

I love you always."

Help

Help each other,
Share the stress
Between
Each other,
And the load
Is made lighter
For all.

Violence

We fight
One another
And hurt those
Who are not
Like us.
Violence
Seems to be
A part of us.
Can we ever
Learn
To live together
In peace?

Troubles

Troubles,
There are such troubles
All around us.
We go to war
Because
Of hate and fear.
Help us, dear God
To find our way
To peace and love.

Promises

Promises,
Of peace;
Promises
Of love;
Promises
Of a good life
For all.
When, oh when
Will all
The promises
Come true?

God Is

God is here,
God is everywhere!
God is on the move
We cannot pin God down!

Wonder of Me

The wonder of me,

How much

There is within,

Unknown,

Unplumbed depths

And heights.

And only God

Knows

The whole of it.

And in love

God is always there

To help me

Find my way

Through the wonder

And mystery of me.

Who Am I

Who am I,

This person?

What is my identity?

I am an individual,

A person

Who matters,

But who am I?

No one can tell me

Anything about me.

God’s child

And a special person

Is who I am. 

When

Having troubles,
Praying for help
And there seems
No answer?
Think when
Not if!

Need a healing
For your spirit
And you don't feel
God hears?
Think when,
Not if!

Looking for someone
Who really cares
That you exist?
Think now,
Not never
And think God!

Jesus is There

The care taken
For the person
Who needs help;
Jesus is there.

The hand held out
To help the one
With an unsteady step;
Jesus is there.

The love given
To the stranger
In your midst;
Jesus is there.

Come Help

Come, hold out
Your hand
To help.

Come, stop, visit
That one
Living alone.

Come, ask
If they need
Anything.

Come, help
In the way
Needed.
                                    

Help Each Other

We cannot cure
The ills of the world,
But one on one,
We can help
Each other.
And in helping
Each other
And passing
That help onward,
Maybe we can
Change the world
After all.

Help others

What are you doing to help others?
Are you taking care of the needs of people?
 Do you ask what the person needs?
Are you willing to visit those who can't get out?
Will you pick up for church those who don't drive?
 What can you do to make life easier for others?

The Church

A community of faith,
People worshiping together,
Coming together
To become one people.
And God is the head,
Nurturing and sustaining,
Giving all people
A place to grow
In love
And with each other.

End of the Church

To tell all people
All about God's love
And the grace
That is theirs to have.
To lead all people
Onward to find
That they are
Children of God.

A Prayer

Loving God, come to me now and help me.  The darkness threatens to overwhelm me and pull me away into its dark hole.  Come and keep me safe from the dark places that are there within me.  I want to stay and dwell only with you, but I need your help to do that.  Be always my strength and help me keep the darkness away.AMEN

The church

Is the church loving itself?
Is the church loving God?
Is the church loving its neighbors?
Does the church go out and help others?
Is the church serving its neighbors?
Is the church remembering that God loves all people?

Watch it!
For God
Has broken loose
And is out
Among the people!

Fear

Fear of differences,
Fear of those
Who are not
Like me.
When
Can we all
Learn
To get past
This fear?

We Are

We are the poor,
The powerless.
We are the oppressed,
Those trodden underfoot
By all others.
See us,
Help us,
Know us and learn
That we are
Brothers and sisters
To those of you
Who think yourself
Above us.

Questions V

What proofs
Will we ask
Of God?
What will we demand
God show us
Before we will believe?
Or will we finally
Learn to trust
And come to faith
Without demands?

Who Cares?

Who cares
About the poor;
Who cares
About the hurt
And pain
That they feel?
Is there anyone
Anywhere
Who cares?

Valuable

You are valuable,
My friend.
You are very precious
In God's sight
And no one
Can take that
Away from you.

The Ministers

They are God’s messengers

To folks here on earth.

They give to all the people

The meaning of God’s word.

They only work for God,

But yet are only human

And make the same mistakes

As others of us do.

They only try their bet

To tell to all who listen

What God would have us do

While we are here on earth.

Enough

Enough,
Never enough.
Always happiness
Is beyond our reach
Because there is
Always more to have.

But God is near
Ready to help us
To turn around
And to find
Our happiness
In helping others
And sharing
What we have.

More Questions

How do we deal with our fears?
Do we let our fears control us?
Do we let God lead us in spite of our fears?
Is God in our lives?
Can we work beyond our fears?
Can we find love in all people and live together in spite of our fears?
Can we really catch hold of God's vision for the whole world?

Some Questions

In our need, do we hear God's command?
Do we give thanks for all healing?
Or do we just give thanks when it is convenient?
Do we give ALL our needs to God?

The Light

It was dark, oh so dark,

No light could there be seen.

Then like magic, a light,

A glimmering, as a candle small

Glowed there in the dark

And grew each passing day.

The dark did try to put it out,

But could not do it;

For it was the light of the world

That shone there.

Still it shines and stronger grows

As more and more

The people come to it

And worship God as the source,

The source of light and life.

Push

Problems with life?
Worries everywhere?
Stop for a while
And say a prayer.

Troubles abounding?
Seems no one cares?
Sit down awhile;
Just keep praying.

Still have problems?
Stop a moment
And just push -
Pray Until Something Happens!

To loved pets who are sick

Go on ahead, sweetheart,
We'll meet again
At the Rainbow Bridge.
And while you're
Waiting for me,
There are others
Gone on before
Waiting quietly
For the great reunion;
And then we'll never
Part again,
Promise.

Sounds of War - part 1

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
Women and girls
Beaten and raped
Many people killed;
Africa.

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
Car bombs and gunfire
People wounded and killed
All for land;
The Middle East.

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
Farmers losing crops
Drug runners winning
Rebels fighting government;
Columbia.

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
Planes crashing
Buildings falling down,
People killed;
America.

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
Bombs and gunfire
In a far off land
A change of government;
Afganistan.

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
All over the world.
Oh God, when
Will all the people
Learn to live together
In peace and love?

Questions

God welcomes the wanderer

In unexpected ways!

Are we willing to let God

Welcome us?

Will we sit at table with the

outsider?  And will we treat them

 as God’s precious children and

our neighbors?

Do we see that God loves and forgives everyone?

Sounds of War

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
Too many people
Being killed
Because of differences;
Syria.

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
Young people killed,
Retaliation taken
Again because of differences;
Israel and Palestine.

Sounds of war,
Sounds of violence,
Drug lords taking over
The country
Women and Children fleeing;
Central America.
.

More Questions

What we want and what God wants often are different things, are we ready for that?

Will we look for the unexpected in our lives and see God working?

Jesus is not always what we want, when will we learn that?

Will we stand with Jesus?

 Even through the suffering and sacrifice, will we follow?

Will we see who Jesus really is?

Will we see that God and Jesus love and include all people?

Churches

Are we open to all people?
Are we open to God's leading?
Can the church change the way it is going?
Do we pray for all people?
Do we REALLY care about other people?
Are we willing to learn how to pray/

Reaction to sermon 5/4/14

Can we open our closet doors more fully?
Can we learn something new?
Can we learn to walk in God's love?
Do we listen for God?
Do we trust God completely?
Can we come out of our closets completely?
Do we know God is near?
Are we ready to leave our closets?
What are we afraid of?
Will each of us admit we have our own closets?

Reaction to Sunday's sermon

How "Christian" are we?
What is holy, what does this word mean, really?
Can we ever be good enough?
Can we do the right, ever?
Are we righteous?
Will we turn to God?
Are we listening for the voice of God?
Are we free to love all people?
What are our "yokes"?

Unexpected

God welcomes the wanderer

In unexpected ways!

Are we willing to let God

Welcome us?

Will we sit at table with the

outsider? And will we treat them

as God’s precious children and

our neighbors?

Do we see that God loves and forgives everyone?

Come and eat

All you people,

You are welcome here,

For this is God’s table.

Churches

Churches burning,

Brought down by hatred

Just because

Of differences.

But out of the ashes,

Love has built

A new church.

People coming together

Rebuilding in faith

So that love

Has a place to grow. 

 

Come And...

Come and see

The family of God

In all its diversity.

Come and hear

All about a God

Who loves us all.

Come and learn

That you are worthy

And accepted by God.

Come to us

And always know

That God loves you!

Elitism

Elitism –

We are the best,

No one else

Need apply

To get in here!

But God comes

To knock at the door

And tells us

To come out

And serve

ALL the people.

We are comfortable here

And the new person

Will upset

All that we

Have established!

But God comes again

And knocks us all

For a loop

By reminding us

That the church

Is for ALL people.

The Church Divided

The church is divided

Into many camps,

Each saying,

“Mine is better,

We follow Christ

Better than they.”

But these are only

Human terms,

For God is not divided,

But is one God,

And in Christ,

We are also

All one.

All Churches

All churches are

Part of the body

Of Christ.

One part

Cannot do without

The others;

For without the others,

We stumble and fall.

The Church Needs...

To go out to the streets
Among the people
And find out
What is needed.

To go out to find
Where the people are
And help them
In their needs.

To go to hell
'Cause that is where
The people are
Hurting the worst.

Freedom

Freedom:
      From fear,
      From hate.

Freedom:
     From oppression,
     From slavery.

Freedom:
      In God's name,
      In love.

Together

Come, let us
Stand together
And let no one
Tear us apart.

Come in unity
And as one people
Show the world
What freedom is.

Unity

One nation,
Many people,
Many ideas
But one together.

One nation,
Arguing together
But unified
When trouble comes.