A Prayer for Spring

In the lengthening of days
Snowdrops emerging
from winter's frozen ground
we see the Creator's hand

In the sight of a tiny lamb
joyfully bounding
across hillside farm
we see the Creator's hand

Creator God, forgive our moments of ingratitude,
the spiritual blindness that prevents us
from appreciating the wonder that is this world,
the endless cycle of nature,
of life and death and rebirth.
Forgive us for taking without giving
reaping without sowing.

Open our eyes to see
our lips to praise
our hands to share
and may our feet tread lightly on the road.


http://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Spring.htm

Thou Art Rest

Thou art rest and gentle peace,
Thou art longing, and that which stills it.
I consecrate to thee, with my joys and griefs,
as thy dwelling-place, my eyes and heart.

Enter into me and close thou
The gates softly behind thee:
Drive other griefs from this breast,
Let this heart be filled with thy joys.

My world of sight thy radiance
Alone can illuminate. O, fill it to the full!

By F. Rückert

The Hymns that Keep on Going

For centuries, musicians and lyricists have been putting pen to paper in order to express ideas of faith and doctrine through music. Thousands of compositions have come and gone, enjoyed (or not) in the moment but ultimately fading away. At the same time, other musical offerings have remained part of the church vocabulary through many generations.


Why do some compositions fade away while others remain strong? The Journey's very own Bob Coote spent months exploring that question. His research was published in the March, 2011, edition of Christianity Today. A link to the article is below. Thank you, Bob, for your exploration of this question.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/march/hymnsthatkeepgoing.html