I love to be at the ELCA Assembly to be a part of the daily Eucharist. It is a real mix of music and styles. They use the common setting we all do, but WOW they add layers I cannot anticipate and it seems to work just fine. In this blog I simply wanted to share the words to the last hymn. As we started singing it, I was reflecting on all the things to which we are being witnesses and I became a bit overwhelmed. I sang a verse and then was simply overcome with emotion (silly me...being emotional). Here are the words...the vision.
Let streams of living justice flow down upon the earth;
give freedom's light to captives, let all the poor have worth.
The hungry's hands are pleading, the workers claim their rights,
the mourner's long for laughter, the blinded seek for sight.
Make liberty a beacon, strike down the iron pow'r;
abolish ancient vengeance: proclaim your people's hour.
For healing of the nations, for peace that will not end,
for love that makes us lovers, God grant us grace to mend.
Weave our varied gifts together; knit our lives as they are spun;
on your loom of time enroll us till our thread of life is run.
O great weaver of our fabric, bind church and world in one;
dye our texture with your radiance, light our colors with your sun.
Your city's built to music; we are the stones you seek;
your harmony is language; we are the words you speak.
Our faith we find in service, our hope in others' dreams,
our love in hand of neighbor; our homeland brightly gleams.
Inscribe our hearts with justice; your way - the path untried;
your truth - the heart of stranger; your life - the Crucified.
This is poetry. This is vision. This is taking what we have at the heart of our faith and bringing us together around word that inspire. For those who can only hang on to what is literally written in Scripture I think there is a gap. We have always counted on the poets to open our eyes and help us see what might be beyond us and yet is a part of how God is working among us and leading us.
Having said that, it is important to note that musician Paul Manz is ill and suffering from colon cancer.
good day. pastoral
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