But Lord, they're black.
You don't mean to say
That I should care about
Such as they!
But Lord, they're gay.*
You couldn't have
Created these people
As they are!
But Lord, they're different.
You can't mean
That I should love them
Just as they are!
*book by Rev Sylvia Pennington
added later:
But Lord, they're asexual.
You couldn't have
Made these people
As they say they are!
Who am I,
This person?
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.
YOU are special! You are the only one like you that has
ever been or will be. There will never be another like
you, for God made you to be unique. So let no one tell
you who or what you must be. Just be the best you that
you can be.
You ARE special! You are the only one exactly like you,
so be the best of who you are. Let no one try to tell
you who you are or dictate to you how you should act.
Just be who you are.
You are SPECIAL! There is only one like you, and God
loves you just the way you are. For you are the only
one with your particular set of genetics and talents.
Remember: there is Somebody who calls us ALL beloved!
Come now, all people
And meet the One
Who calls
All of us beloved.
2
Come my brothers
And my sisters,
Walk side by side
With me.
Come and talk
With me,
For you also
Are a child of God
Just like me.
So let us sit
Side by side
And eat together
And let the world know
God's love is
Within us all.
3
Come, all people,
Leave all your
Hurts and pain
Behind you
And walk
With the One
Who calls you
Beloved.
4
Come and know
That it does not matter
How different
You may be,
There is Somebody
Who calls you
Beloved.
5
Come, hear
The good news
That God
Is always near you
And calls you
Beloved.
The Walls
Jerry Browning
Sometime way back in the dawn of my youth,
I learned how it was to survive.
I learned how to use what was handed to me,
To fashion a place I could hide.
Each bit of anger and each bit of fear
I’d fashioned to fine polished stone.
Resentments were mortared to hold all in place;
I started to build my new home.
The walls grew quite high and they shut out the light.
The rooms were quite large and quite bare.
I only wanted a place to feel safe,
But there was just loneliness there.
I thought isolation was where I’d find peace;
A safe place for just God and me.
I’d made it so safe and secure that it seemed
Not even my God could find me.
CHORUS:
Now the walls have come tumbling down;
The mortar is loosened, the stones fall apart,
I can see the blue sky above, the smiles of my friends,
And God’s love in my heart.
Pure isolation can turn into hell when silence is deafeningly loud.
I found that I was alone in my walls
And I was alone in a crowd.
The fortress I’d started would never be done,
Still so much anger and pain;
The walls had grown higher than I’d ever dreamed,
They’d rival the castles of Spain.
CHORUS:
...and God Sighed
by Rev Micah G Hartung
I created a world with infinite colors divine, textures and temperatures flowed in a line.
I created the egg holding the tadpole of kind, and watched as a family matured as mine.
I created birds and watched them soar long, up into the heavens singing their cheerful song.
I created the mammals pressed to their mom, that would remain for a period ere long.
I put speed in the hooves of running deer, and stood in awe when they would appear.
I created the human who knew no fear and knew that all wonder soon would be near.
And God sighed...
My glaciers cut shapes in the land, forming ridges and valleys with a sweep of My hand.
Then rain for rivers upon the dry land, and oceans and seas moving in and out on the sand.
I created the flora and fauna that rooted abound, to hold the earth solid and create the ground.
I created the sun, moon and stars all around, so creation would know that rest could be found.
I married the creatures with the earth and sea, then I rested to see what would come to be.
I saw creatures move and natures first bee, study the ground and all that they could see.
And God sighed.....
The sun rose brightly on creations first day, and its brilliant light was what it displayed.
The colors of this creation illumined this day and were a bit of everything I brought into play.
I gazed at this creation as they looked to the sky, and waited to hear joy being sung in the reply
It was diversity I made and bound with a tie, and their soul I saw, shining through their eye.
There was no song of praise in harmony or words of reverence about the mystery of Me.
Instead they began to fight as it would be, power, property and creation you see.
And God sighed....
Some would say that in this confusion we flee, or its my Creation I should leave.
But how could I leave the very essence of me, a world I created and gave no reprieve.
Instead I gave to My children created above, a gift of value known as unconditional love.
Wisdom and knowledge sent by a dove, and a covenant in the rainbow reaching from above.
Some of Creation stand firm in the light, illuminating peace and kindness until it takes flight.
I am the God of hope brought right, I am the light always present in the darkest of night.
And God Smiled and Sighed...
God speaks to all:
Come and walk with me,
Let no one deny you,
For you are my Beloved
And there are no persons
Who can take my love
Away from you.
It does not matter
How you define yourself,
I created you
As you are right now
And I love you because
You are always my child.
Come Beloved, come now
And walk with me.
How Mighty
How mighty are your works, oh man!
Mighty are the works of your hands;
But besides the works of God,
They are nothing at all.
For the works of God,
The creations of His hands
Are the stars, the planets,
And everything that lives.
Even you, oh man,
Is created by God above.
How mighty are your works, oh man,
But mightier still the works of God!
Written 1964
God is my Strength
for Ginger Harris
Psalm 62:1-2
My God is my strength,
A place to go
In times of trouble.
In His arms
I find rest
And peace
For my troubled soul
And I find
That I need not fear
When God is near.
Matthew 11:28-30
And when I come
Near to God
And lean on Him,
All my weariness
Is taken away.
In those arms ,
I find the rest
And the peace
That I need.
Philippians 4:12-13
In everything
And in every time,
God is with me
And gives me strength.
Because of that,
I can do all
That I am
Called to do.
God is always with me
At all times!
Take Off Your Grave Clothes
Terry Lee Ousley c 1997
Ousley Music/BMI
Jesus had a friend whose name was Lazarus.
This Lazarus was special unto Christ.
While teaching word was sent to Christ from Bethany
That Lazarus was sick and just might die.
Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death.
It is so that God may be glorified."
Two days later Jesus said, "Lazarus sleeps.
Let us go now so that he will arise."
When Jesus arrived at Bethany
Lazarus had been in the tomb for four long days.
His sisters said to Jesus, "If you'd just been here,
Lazarus would be here - healed and alive today!"
Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life -
Will you believe the truth these words afford?"
Then weeping Jesus walked right up to Lazarus' tomb.
With authority said, "Lazarus come forth!"
Chorus:
Rise up from the tomb, roll the stone away!
Move towards the blessed light, in Jesus' presence stay!
Come forth from the tomb, leave behind the gloom -
Take off your grave clothes and be free!
Still today we let sin's sicknss kill our souls
When we should live a life of liberty
But you can win the vict'ry Jesus won for you
if you'll open up your heart and believe!
Like Lazarus you must come forth from sin's tomb -
Just step into God's light and be free!
Then shed those grave clothes made of doubt and misery,
Put on garments of praise and victory!
Chorus: repeat twice
Don't ignore me,
I am here
And I am human,
Just like you!
Don't ignore me,
I am alive
And I have needs
Just like you.
Don't pretend
That I do not exist
Or that God
Did not make me.
Don't ignore me
Just love me
As I am
This day.
Can you hear me, Lord?
By Jerry Browning
Can you hear me, Lord; how did I come to be?
Can you hear me Lord; is this Your Love I see?
Seems the world you made has turned its back on me.
If you hear me Lord, I’m longing to be free.
Do you love me, Lord; I feel inside you do.
Do you love me, Lord; my heart cries out to you,
In the dark of night, let me see your light shine through,
If you love me Lord, then let me walk with you.
Can you tell me, Lord; all the reasons I am here?
Can you tell me, Lord; what is it others fear?
Why is hate so strong & love so rare and dear?
Will you tell me Lord, for I feel you standing near.
Will you take me Lord; I’m longing to be free.
Will you take me Lord; my soul cries out to thee
For the only love I know you placed in me.
If you won’t take me Lord; why did I come to be?
(repeat last two lines)
God Keeps me safe for Rick Peterson
Psalm 23
My God
Is my protector,
And is always near
Through good times
And the bad,
Ready to help
And strengthen,
And keep me safe.
Psalm 27
At all times
Of my life,
God is near me
To give me light.
I need not fear,
For my God
Is always with me
Even when my enemies
Are all around me.
I am always safe
In those arms.
Psalm 84
And I will live safely
In the house of God.
There is beauty there
That is greater
Than any other place
That I know,
And I long
To dwell there,
For my true home
Is there.
Psalm 121
God is always near,
And watches over me,
Keeping me safe.
At all times
And in all places,
God is there
And does not sleep,
That I will be
Kept always safe.
John 1:1-5
God has always
Been there
And brings light
To my life
And all others
Who will believe.
And in that light
Is life,
And the dark
Can never
Overwhelm me.
Romans 8:28
And God is there,
Loving all people,
And working for good
For all of us.
And again,
I find safety,
For God's love
Keeps me secure.
And I am called
To walk in those paths
That will lead me
Onward to where God is.
Psalm 150
And I praise God!
With everything
That exists,
I will ever praise God,
Who keeps me safe.
Love is mine!
Let all the world know
That God loves me
And all other people!
Oh dear God, there are so many problems in this world you created for us. We fume and fight over the smallest differences between us when we should be talking together to find ways to live in love and peace. Please help our leaders find other ways to "protect" their countries and citizens than fighting or threatening each other other. Please help us to find our way to your peace ✌ and love AMEN
Come,
Let us talk together
About those things
That divide us.
If we talk,
Maybe then
We will find
Wwe are more alike
Than what we think.
Let us talk together
And find ways
To peace on earth
And how to really love
As God does.
Let Your Light Shine
Call to worship:
Let your light shine,
Show the world
What God's love
Is all about.
*
Call to prayer:
Come all people
And seek
The Lord of light!
Prayer:
Loving God,
Forgive us
For not letting
Our light shine.
Forgive us
For the darkness
Along the road.
Forgive us
When strangers
Turn away
Because they
Cannot see
To find the way.
Help us to learn
How to let our light
Shine out brightly.
And God is here
With us,
Ready to show us all
How to light up
Our world.
*
Matt 5:13
Be the salt
To your part
Of the earth
And help the people
Find the peace
And love they need.
Matt 5:14-16
Set your light
To glowing bright
And set high
In a lighthouse
So that when
The storms of life
Come along,
Those along the way
Will know
The right way to go.
Charge and benediction:
Come, light up
Your part of the world
So that all people
Will know how to find
The path of life.
Walk with God
Is 2:2-3
God walks with us
And leads us all
Along the paths
That will lead us
To the house of God.
Let us walk in faith,
Knowing that God
Is always there.
Is 40:31
When God walks with us,
Our strength will be
All that we ever need,
And there will be
No weariness
If we stay in faith
On the paths
Where God leads us.
John 8:12
If we walk with God,
Jesus will always
Be with us.
And there will be
No darkness,
For there is light
Wherever Jesus is.
2 Cor 5:7
When we walk
In faith with God,
We will know
That there is always
Someone with us,
Even if we do not see.
Walk always in faith,
Knowing that God
Is always near,
Loving us all.
Come in Joy for Jerry Browning March 2003
Psalm 16:9-11
Come, follow me,
And I will lead you
In the paths of life.
In my presence is joy,
And I will keep you
Secure and safe,
And you will know
That always, I love you.I will
John 15:11-17
Come in joy,
Knowing that my love
Is always there.
Pass my love on
To one another
And your joy
Will be more full.
John 16:19-22
I will turn
All your sorrow
Into such joy
That no one
Can take it away
From you.
Just look and see,
I am always there,
Waiting for you.
John 16:23-24
Come to me,
And ask of God
For whatever you want
And in my name
It will be given
That your joy
May be full.
John 16:31-33
Come in joy,
Knowing that you
Are united to me.
Be at peace,
For no matter
What you may suffer
At the hands
Of the world,
I am with you
And I have defeated
This world.
John 17:6-19
Holy God, you are
Mother and Father
To all here.
You have given
Them to me.
Help them to live
Together in unity
And in love
For each other.
John 17:20-26
I also pray
For those yet to come,
That they might
Always be one,
Just as we are.
Show them your glory,
That all may know
Of the love
That has been there
From the beginning.
Help those to come
To always know
The joy
Of your presence.
Sitting with the family
That God has given me
Knowing that He is here,
Loving me.
Drinking in the joy
That is there,
Because God
Is in the midst.
Drinking in the joy,
Enjoying God’s presence,
Then spreading the joy
To all around
That all may know
That God dwells
Among us
And loves us all.
Drinking the joy,
Feasting on God’s love
For even me!
Wherever I turn,
He is there,
Loving me
Every day.
What more
Can I do
But to love Him?
For He is everything
To me
And His love
Strengthens
And upholds me.
Drinking the joy,
Feasting on God’s love
For all people,
Letting the world know
Of God’s love for them.
The Children of One God
Jerry Browning
We have wandered through the desert like the chosen of God did
We have lived in dark confusion like the face of God was hid
We have searched to find our Sinai while the world kept closing doors
Far too many chose to turn away, gave up and searched no more.
They chose to live in silence, in the darkness of their dreams
In solitude and oneness and in loneliness it seems
Then the light came to a chosen few and wounds began to heal
The time was right, the truths of God began to be revealed.
CHORUS:
We are children of one God Who made humanity from clay
We are worthy, we are loved, we’re whosoevers who’ve been saved
And we join our hands to form a ring around the world
We are loved, we are the children of one God.
There was a sound to follow, flute and drum began to play
The lady and the troubadour stepped out to lead the way
They carried truth and light into the darkest of the nights
And eyes began to open, wrongs began to be made right.
One by one, at first with caution, children stepped into the light
Joining hands in quiet boldness, standing firm in heaven’s light
Then a hundred came to join them, pretty soon a thousand more
And the children of one God stood where they never stood before.
CHORUS:
Gen 2:19
And God created
All that is;
The birds that fly,
All that lives in the sea,
And all the beasts
That live on the land.
Come and see,
All creatures
Were created by God.
Come and know
That God treasures
And loves them all.
Creator God,
Forgive us
When we treat
This world
As our own
Personal possession.
Forgive us
When we forget
That you created
All animals
And they
Belong here, too.
Help all of us
To remember
That you love
All that you
Have created.
God is here,
Forgiving us
And loving us.
Come, let us
Celebrate.
And praise God
Who made
Every creature
And loves them all.
Go out in peace,
And remember:
God created this world
And all that is on it.
This is meant for a worship service, but can be used and shared as a poem.
.
Come, celebrate
Thd lives
That God
Has given
To usx all.
Celebrate the love
That is shown
For God
Is always near
To show us
The way to go.
God is good
All the time!
In all things
And at all times,
We are loved!
We need not fear
Anything for
All the time,
God is good!
Remember: there is Somebody who calls us ALL beloved!
Come now, all people
And meet the One
Who calls
All of us beloved.
2
Come my brothers
And my sisters,
Walk side by side
With me.
Come and talk
With me,
For you also
Are a child of God
Just like me.
So let us sit
Side by side
And eat together
And let the world know
God's love is
Within us all.
3
Come, all people,
Leave all your
Hurts and pain
Behind you
And walk
With the One
Who calls you
Beloved.
4
Come and know
That it does not matter
How different
You may be,
There is Somebody
Who calls you
Beloved.
5
Come, hear
The good news
That God
Is always near you
And calls you
Beloved.
Celebrate,
Celebrate the life given
To all of us
By a loving God
Who loves us all
Right now as we are.
Celebrate,
Celebrate the love
That is ours always,
No matter who we are
For our God
Created us this way.
Celebrate,
Celebrate our God
Who always has love,
Love enough to embrace
The whole world.
Angels descending
To help us here.
But what
Do they look like?
Will we know them
When we see them?
Angels are among us,
Who are they,
Do they really
Have wings ¿
I Am Love
I Am here.
Before the world was,
I Am there,
And I created all.
Yahweh, Elohim,
Call me what you will,
I Am always near.
Out of love
I created you.
John 1:1-5
I am the word
That created all,
And I became
One with you
To show you all
The way to live
With each other
In love.
John 3:16
I came in love
To teach all
How to live together
In peace and love.
Can you learn
To follow me
And love
All that you meet?
I John 3:1
In this know
How much you are loved,
You are my children!
You are all
Precious to me
And I would
Hold you close
If you will only
Come near.
I John 3:11
And being all
Children of mine,
Learn to love
One another,
For you all are
Brothers and sisters.
Come together
And see
Who you really are.
I John 4:7-10
I came
That you might
Know what love is,
And how much
I really love you.
Come and see
And find forgiveness
And love
For yourself.
I John 4:11-16
You will come
To live in union
With me
If you will only
Love one another.
And in this union
Is my love shown,
That though you have
Never seen my face,
You still live in union
With each other.
I John 4:17-18
You need not
Fear anything,
For my love
Is always there
To protect you.
Come to me
And see
How great my love
For you is.
I John 4:19-21
I created you
And I loved you
Before you knew me.
I came that you
Might know love
And not hate,
For there is no room
For hate near me.
If you love me,
You love others!
Come to me and know
My great love
For you!
Hope for the Kingdom of love, which shall come.
It is in this kingdom that all shall live in peace,
nor shall any put down any other. No person will be
made to feel that they are less than any other person.
And God's love will be there for all, for all are His
children.
Work for the Kingdom of love and let all people
know that God's love is there for them. This is what
Christmas is all about, God's love made manifest,
walking among the people, showing all how they were
to live in peace.
Live as Christ did, loving all people, sharing
God's love with all, and the kingdom will come sooner.
For the more we live in love and in Christ, the more
the kingdom is present in this world. And let God's
love flow through us all out to the whole world, that
all the world will know God and His love.
Light
For Roland Smith
Psalm 27:1
The light of God
Is always with me,
Therefore I don’t need
To be afraid of anything,
For God is my strength
And my light.
Isaiah 60:1-3
Stand up and see,
The light of God
Is come to you.
Let it shine
Through the darkness
And all people
Will come to it.
Matt 1:4-9
And the light
Has come to us
To break up
The darkness,
And all people
Can come
To dwell in that light.
I John 1:5-7
God is our light.
If we dwell with God,
There is no darkness
Anywhere near us.
If we walk
In the light,
Jesus is with us,
For He is the light,
There for all
Who would walk
With Him.
Who am I,
This person?
What is my identity?
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.
What is our throne?
Who is on our throne?
What do we keep hold of?
Can we let go of our fears?
Can we really follow Jesus?
Will we go where Jesus leads?
Who do we trust?
Do we know the One who calls us “Beloved "?