Words & music by Cathy Letkeman
Rushing, restless, time’s relentless
Pushing, pulling, hard until
My soul is hard, and dry, and spent
Though I cease from work I am not still
Oh to hide away and be at rest
Oh to hurry to a place of refuge
I cry out to Yo
Lord of the Sabbath
Quiet me
Hectic, frantic, life’s chaotic
I long to stop this crazy pace
Like a lamb that’s lost, I’ve wandered
And forgot my resting place
Oh to hide away and be at rest
Oh to hurry to a place of refuge
I cry out to You
Lord of the Sabbath
Shelter me
Aching, bruising, soul-deep sorrows
‘Neath a load of pain I drown
My soul is weary, crushed by burdens
I yearn to stop and lay them down
Oh to hide away and be at rest
Oh to hurry to a place of refuge
I cry out to You
Lord of the Sabbath
Rescue Me
(whispered) Remember...
I am the Lord who rescues you
I will shelter you beneath My wings
I will sing over you and quiet you
with My love (whispered) Remember...
Be at rest once more oh my soul
For the Lord has been good to you
I will hide away and be at rest
I will hurry to a place of refuge
I will run to You
Lord of the Sabbath
Hold me
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Prayer to God, Our Rock
A Found Poem based on Several Psalms
From the ends of the earth, I call to you…
I call to you as my heart grows faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
For who is God besides the Lord” And who is the Rock except our God?
You led me through the vast and dreadful desert of my life,
In those thirsty and waterless places You brought water out of a hard rock
You opened the rock and water gushed out; like a river ; It flowed in my desert…
With honey from the rock, You satisfy me…
I drank from the miraculous rock that traveled with me, and that rock was Christ…
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
You lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
You set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand…
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
In the day of trouble You will keep me safe in Your dwelling;
You will hide me in the shelter of Your tabernacle and set me high upon a rock!
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
The eternal God is my hiding place, You carry me in Your arms
Put me in the cleft of the rock and cover me with Your hand
I will trust in the Lord, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress and I will never be shaken.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
You would say to me:
My name is the Lord Almighty, and I have hidden you safely within My hand. I have called you by name, and you are mine. I set all the stars in place and established the earth Is there any God besides me? No there is no other Rock;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
The Lord lives! Praise be to My Rock! Exalted be God my Savior
Come let us sing for joy to the Lord;
Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
From the ends of the earth, I call to you…
I call to you as my heart grows faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
For who is God besides the Lord” And who is the Rock except our God?
You led me through the vast and dreadful desert of my life,
In those thirsty and waterless places You brought water out of a hard rock
You opened the rock and water gushed out; like a river ; It flowed in my desert…
With honey from the rock, You satisfy me…
I drank from the miraculous rock that traveled with me, and that rock was Christ…
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
You lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
You set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand…
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
In the day of trouble You will keep me safe in Your dwelling;
You will hide me in the shelter of Your tabernacle and set me high upon a rock!
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
The eternal God is my hiding place, You carry me in Your arms
Put me in the cleft of the rock and cover me with Your hand
I will trust in the Lord, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress and I will never be shaken.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
You would say to me:
My name is the Lord Almighty, and I have hidden you safely within My hand. I have called you by name, and you are mine. I set all the stars in place and established the earth Is there any God besides me? No there is no other Rock;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…
The Lord lives! Praise be to My Rock! Exalted be God my Savior
Come let us sing for joy to the Lord;
Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Oh What A Difference Prayer Makes
Reflections on prayer by Cathy Letkeman
Oh, what a difference prayer makes.
When will I realize just how little breath it takes
To turn my anxious thoughts and sighs
Into prayers?
There can be no earthly doubt
That my Father hears each whispered shout
Though no words may pass my lips
He knows my cares
He waits in loving silence as I fret, and frown
And simply drown
Trying to keep my world afloat
He sees my fear
Longing to take my hand,
and put my feet back on dry land
and whisper to my storm-tossed heart
“I’m here”
Here to take my burdens from me,
share my grief, and simply love me
Here to give me wisdom
And relief
Joy, and peace, and understanding
Strength, to meet what life’s demanding
Faith and hope
to nurture my belief
that angels wait with bated breath
to fight my battles, and remind Death,
that it has no hold, eternal life is mine
because of Christ’s victory o’er the Grave
The Spirit whispers, “Child, be brave
and know you share in all that is divine”
And then when I am finally silent
When my heart and mind are quiet, and still
I can hear gentle reproof in tones of grace
He calls me back from restless wandering
Turns my thoughts from self, and sin
And brings my gaze to rest upon His face
And it’s there
In that quiet place
Resting in His wondrous grace
That I marvel at how little breath it takes
To turn my anxious thoughts and sighs
Worries, complaints and heartfelt cries
To peace that silences the enemy’s lies
Oh, what a difference prayer makes.
Oh, what a difference prayer makes.
When will I realize just how little breath it takes
To turn my anxious thoughts and sighs
Into prayers?
There can be no earthly doubt
That my Father hears each whispered shout
Though no words may pass my lips
He knows my cares
He waits in loving silence as I fret, and frown
And simply drown
Trying to keep my world afloat
He sees my fear
Longing to take my hand,
and put my feet back on dry land
and whisper to my storm-tossed heart
“I’m here”
Here to take my burdens from me,
share my grief, and simply love me
Here to give me wisdom
And relief
Joy, and peace, and understanding
Strength, to meet what life’s demanding
Faith and hope
to nurture my belief
that angels wait with bated breath
to fight my battles, and remind Death,
that it has no hold, eternal life is mine
because of Christ’s victory o’er the Grave
The Spirit whispers, “Child, be brave
and know you share in all that is divine”
And then when I am finally silent
When my heart and mind are quiet, and still
I can hear gentle reproof in tones of grace
He calls me back from restless wandering
Turns my thoughts from self, and sin
And brings my gaze to rest upon His face
And it’s there
In that quiet place
Resting in His wondrous grace
That I marvel at how little breath it takes
To turn my anxious thoughts and sighs
Worries, complaints and heartfelt cries
To peace that silences the enemy’s lies
Oh, what a difference prayer makes.
Trust
The God of the universe who holds the stars in His hand
Knows all things
Sees all things
Is Everywhere
The fingerprint of His design marks the canvas of all creation
He knows my name
He knows my heart
He knows my need
His message of love is written with the ink of His grace across the pages of my life…
both the pages that are filled, and those yet to be written upon….
Grace in place before I even ask…
All of this so true, and yet I shudder to think of the many times I fail to approach His throne of grace, and seek the wisdom that I need…
He waits lovingly, longing for me to leave my burdens in His care
“Lay them down”… He whispers gently
Yet I march resolutely on, endeavoring to carry the full weight of
my burdens and leave my faith behind instead…
Even when I ask for the Spirit’s help, I treat Him as though He is at my disposal,
a tool in my hand to shape my world the way I see it… according to my plans,
instead of yielding humbly to His leading; submitting and surrendering
myself to His will, at His disposal, a tool in His hand to shape my world the way He sees it, according to His plan…
You see it’s all a matter of in whom I place my trust.
“Trust Me…”
But Lord I…
“Trust Me…”
But Lord….
“Trust Me…”
But….
“Trust Me.”
Lord… I surrender.
Knows all things
Sees all things
Is Everywhere
The fingerprint of His design marks the canvas of all creation
He knows my name
He knows my heart
He knows my need
His message of love is written with the ink of His grace across the pages of my life…
both the pages that are filled, and those yet to be written upon….
Grace in place before I even ask…
All of this so true, and yet I shudder to think of the many times I fail to approach His throne of grace, and seek the wisdom that I need…
He waits lovingly, longing for me to leave my burdens in His care
“Lay them down”… He whispers gently
Yet I march resolutely on, endeavoring to carry the full weight of
my burdens and leave my faith behind instead…
Even when I ask for the Spirit’s help, I treat Him as though He is at my disposal,
a tool in my hand to shape my world the way I see it… according to my plans,
instead of yielding humbly to His leading; submitting and surrendering
myself to His will, at His disposal, a tool in His hand to shape my world the way He sees it, according to His plan…
You see it’s all a matter of in whom I place my trust.
“Trust Me…”
But Lord I…
“Trust Me…”
But Lord….
“Trust Me…”
But….
“Trust Me.”
Lord… I surrender.
Reflections on the Call of Mary
Reflections on The Call of Mary
A simple young woman like you or I
Became the Lord’s servant without an answer for why
God chose her,
How was it that she was ready to give her all?
How did God prepare her life for His Call?
To be mother, nurturer, protector, guide
Yet aware of her need of the One inside
Her womb,
God and Savior, child and son
Messiah, Christ, the Anointed One
The Father gave her a gift of grace
To see reflected in another’s face
The joy of growing a special son
Away from eyes that would judge and shun
A place of refuge in Elizabeth’s care
Shared wonder that their sons were there
Inside of them, a miracle Heaven made
God’s reminder that “with Him nothing’s impossible”, conveyed
Then returned to the shelter and protection
Of a man, who though their family had begun without him
Surrounded her with the mantle of his name
Doing all in his power to guard her from shame
That others would surely cast upon her
He stepped into the place of husband and father
Though her child was born in a humble place
Their crude surroundings could not erase
The truth,
That her child was a King
God sent His angels to rejoice and sing
And from the lips of humble guardians of sheep
God confirmed her child was Messiah, proof that His promises He’ll keep
And Mary treasured these things inside
Where I’m sure the Enemy would have tried
To sow seeds of doubt about the truth of this One
But God’s purpose would not be thwarted for His son
For though to the Wise Men Christ’s resting place was revealed
From Herod’s murderous eyes His presence was concealed
What would it have been like to flee in the night?
To find refuge among strangers,
Did she feel fright?
Did she think of Egypt as a place where her ancestors were oppressed?
Or did she recall it as a place where through Joseph, they were blessed?
A place where Israel’s sons found provision for their need,
And how even there, in a foreign land, God protected His seed?
Over and over God confirmed who Jesus was
Through people and events, in the gracious way He does
Through Elizabeth, the Shepherds, and the Wise Men too
Through Simeon, and Anna, because God already knew
Mary would need to remember her precious little son
Was not only Son of Man, but Son of God, The Holy One
As she watched Him grow in height and wisdom, and watched Him grow in fame
As He began to live up to the purpose of His name
Did her heart begin to ache, was there soon a gaping hole?
As she recalled these words of Simeon,
“and a sword will pierce your very soul”?
Did anguish, awe, and angst continually fight within her breast
Did she wait with worry and wonder if she was up to the test?
To watch Him be rejected by His very own
To watch Him lay down His life for those who’d never shown
The reverence or respect due the Son of God
They deserved His wrath! Not His love, so pure, unflawed
When she watched His life’s blood flow for all mankind
Did she wish with all her heart that she had been born blind?
Though then her eyes would not have seen her son restored to life
A sight that must have filled her with a joy that redeemed strife
And so is the extraordinary journey of a simple girl who believed,
Who became a willing servant, and with open womb received,
The seed of Abraham, the Root of Jesse, Messiah, Emmanuel
Jesus, Lord, the King of Kings, Redeemer of all who fell,
Though mother of the Son of Man, she was child of God, rescued from sin
Though she gave Him life on earth, He gave her Life within.
A simple young woman like you or I
Became the Lord’s servant without an answer for why
God chose her,
How was it that she was ready to give her all?
How did God prepare her life for His Call?
To be mother, nurturer, protector, guide
Yet aware of her need of the One inside
Her womb,
God and Savior, child and son
Messiah, Christ, the Anointed One
The Father gave her a gift of grace
To see reflected in another’s face
The joy of growing a special son
Away from eyes that would judge and shun
A place of refuge in Elizabeth’s care
Shared wonder that their sons were there
Inside of them, a miracle Heaven made
God’s reminder that “with Him nothing’s impossible”, conveyed
Then returned to the shelter and protection
Of a man, who though their family had begun without him
Surrounded her with the mantle of his name
Doing all in his power to guard her from shame
That others would surely cast upon her
He stepped into the place of husband and father
Though her child was born in a humble place
Their crude surroundings could not erase
The truth,
That her child was a King
God sent His angels to rejoice and sing
And from the lips of humble guardians of sheep
God confirmed her child was Messiah, proof that His promises He’ll keep
And Mary treasured these things inside
Where I’m sure the Enemy would have tried
To sow seeds of doubt about the truth of this One
But God’s purpose would not be thwarted for His son
For though to the Wise Men Christ’s resting place was revealed
From Herod’s murderous eyes His presence was concealed
What would it have been like to flee in the night?
To find refuge among strangers,
Did she feel fright?
Did she think of Egypt as a place where her ancestors were oppressed?
Or did she recall it as a place where through Joseph, they were blessed?
A place where Israel’s sons found provision for their need,
And how even there, in a foreign land, God protected His seed?
Over and over God confirmed who Jesus was
Through people and events, in the gracious way He does
Through Elizabeth, the Shepherds, and the Wise Men too
Through Simeon, and Anna, because God already knew
Mary would need to remember her precious little son
Was not only Son of Man, but Son of God, The Holy One
As she watched Him grow in height and wisdom, and watched Him grow in fame
As He began to live up to the purpose of His name
Did her heart begin to ache, was there soon a gaping hole?
As she recalled these words of Simeon,
“and a sword will pierce your very soul”?
Did anguish, awe, and angst continually fight within her breast
Did she wait with worry and wonder if she was up to the test?
To watch Him be rejected by His very own
To watch Him lay down His life for those who’d never shown
The reverence or respect due the Son of God
They deserved His wrath! Not His love, so pure, unflawed
When she watched His life’s blood flow for all mankind
Did she wish with all her heart that she had been born blind?
Though then her eyes would not have seen her son restored to life
A sight that must have filled her with a joy that redeemed strife
And so is the extraordinary journey of a simple girl who believed,
Who became a willing servant, and with open womb received,
The seed of Abraham, the Root of Jesse, Messiah, Emmanuel
Jesus, Lord, the King of Kings, Redeemer of all who fell,
Though mother of the Son of Man, she was child of God, rescued from sin
Though she gave Him life on earth, He gave her Life within.
May Our Lives Speak More Eloquently Than Our Lips
While it's important to be able to articulate our beliefs intelligently, I wonder if we as Christians congratulate ourselves for finding clever answers to refute atheistic arguments, yet fail to recognize the more subtle arguments standing at the door of our own minds everyday that need to be "taken captive and made obedient to the mind of Christ". What a great diversionary tactic by the Enemy of our souls!
We know the truth, but do we live as though we believe it? For is it not in how we live, that proclaims what we believe? Do the atheists we seek to convince see the beauty of God’s sovereignty, His utter trustworthiness and compassion when they look at how we live? Lord, help us to speak more eloquently with our lives than we do with our lips...
We know the truth, but do we live as though we believe it? For is it not in how we live, that proclaims what we believe? Do the atheists we seek to convince see the beauty of God’s sovereignty, His utter trustworthiness and compassion when they look at how we live? Lord, help us to speak more eloquently with our lives than we do with our lips...
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