Search This Blog

Friday, December 31, 2010

New Heritage

I've been copying stanzas from Psalm 119 in my morning Bible Meditation time.
This morning I was struck by verse 111,
"Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart."

Thinking on the new year upon us, and the joys and sorrows past and to come, this hit a chord.

I love the idea of heritage- my national heritage, my ethnic heritage, and my spiritual heritage. A few years back I was counseled by a family friend about heritage- and how I can have a part in building a new spiritual heritage. It was hopeful to me because I saw him doing THAT for his family! He didn't grow up with that heritage, but that didn't mean he was stuck. He built a new foundation it for his kids.

So it makes me wonder, what will I do in the New Year to build up a godly heritage? I want to create traditions and habits in my life that show others and REMIND ME about God's testimonies. It is also striking that heritage is linked to what is the joy of a person's heart. Will it be money or success or ...., or will it be the joy of the promises and gospel of Jesus Christ?

Oh, Lord, Make this verse more true of me in the New Year!

And make the words of this song true, too! These words are rich.
Enjoy a New Years listening treat :)

Hear O Israel & Come People of the Risen King
Keith & Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend

Hear O Israel, the people of the Lord,
Be still and know that He is God
Love the Lord your God with the fullness of your heart
With all your mind, your strength and soul
We draw near through Christ who saves us
We draw near to the throne of Grace

Hear O Israel, the people of the Lord
Come lift your voice and praise your King
Come, people of the Risen King,
Who delight to bring Him praise;

COME PEOPLE OF THE RISEN KING,
Who delight to bring Him praise;
Come all and tune your hearts to sing
To the Morning Star of grace.
From the shifting shadows of the earth
We will lift our eyes to Him,
Where steady arms of mercy reach
To gather children in.

Rejoice, Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice!
One heart, one voice; O Church of Christ, rejoice!

Come, those whose joy is morning sun,
And those weeping through the night;
Come, those who tell of battles won,
And those struggling in the fight.
For His perfect love will never change,
And His mercies never cease,
But follow us through all our days
With the certain hope of peace.

Come, young and old from every land -
Men and women of the faith;
Come, those with full or empty hands -
Find the riches of His grace.
Over all the world, His people sing -
Shore to shore we hear them call
The Truth that cries through every age:
“Our God is all in all”!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

December Coverings

Covered by the weight
of frozen molecules of hydrogen and oxygen
billions of them, born above my head
released from storehouses,
freed to flow and fumble
Cover the land, dance
onto our path and fraught feet,
crunching beneath.

Covered by the weight
of heavy heart in desperate state
so much left to do, and what's
left undone stares and
presses harder,
until it seems as if reality
is a memory
and all that's left
is hollow panic and forgetfulness.

Covered by the weight
of unfulfilled desires and cries to wait
patiently, keep steady
fastening your grip
to a Rock that will not slip.

Let go of lust that you sling, like a gun on the hip
Fired off, the bullet wounding
so that crimson spots on white snow cluing
me in on a repetitious act,
oh fond rebellion!
Back again I am.
Stuck. Vile. Far.
Until-
Repentance dovetails and swells
and I'm a heap, in rags undone.

Holiness has raised its' fist,
I'm following the beacon home!
Home to the King with Kingdom Throne
To the Lord of skin and bone
To the Weaver of this tale
To my Maker, never frail.

And though I'm frail and frightened; lost
He split his Blood at highest cost.
Dwelling here all weights seem small;
the burden is easy, the yoke is full.
Abiding here, never to leave!
Beauty, fullness, rest in belief
and faith in nail-pierced hands
that free me from self-imposed tyranny
that free me from the enemy's cruelty
that free me from the world's frivolity.
so that I am

Covered by the weight
of love instead.

Thanks for sharing 'Winter Song' by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson via FB go to a friend of a friend of a friend in Pittsburg :) It is unspeakably beautiful and part of the inspiration for this poem- enjoy.