When the church all says amen
And when the people pray, then
The Lord God, from heaven, will hear
He will bring comfort and dry every tear
Our hearts and our lands begin to heal
And we shall see God's face revealed
When we stand with our brothers and sisters in faith
Together, we can make this a better, happier place
We cannot be timid; we can't afford to stay silent
While wars rage on and life becomes more violent
All it takes for evil to win is for good not to take action
How about we deprive Satan of that satisfaction
Values are shifting and new opinions are learned
Tradition being tossed out, old truths are being spurned
No more do we have the blind leading the blind
When we act as one body, one spirit, on mind
With one voice we will proudly profess
The faith that we believe; the faith that we confess
Prayer and action, faith and works, putting love into practice
Speaking out in the desert like John the Baptist
The world may call us things like Jesus Freak
We may as well be speaking in Greek
So, maybe they won't listen to what we have to say
But they watch our actions and the message we convey
Call upon the Lord, and glory in your suffering
For, in Him, our hope eternally springs
Lord, bring the church through this cleansing fire
That we, your bride, would fulfill your heart's desire
Deliver us Oh Lord, from the pride by which we fall
Deliver us Oh Lord, when we are up against the wall
Deliver us Oh Lord, from the sin with which we shackle
Our feet and hands. Our obstacles, Lord, help us tackle
Free us so we may dance with you in sweet surrender
Open our eyes to see through the disguise of the wily pretender
Let the light of your love shine in our lives
For, not all is lost while love and hope alone survives

How deep is your love (for me)?
That stretches from sea to shining sea
How much higher than the mountains
Streams of life flowing down from endless fountains
How deep is your love for me?
It's a little overwhelming this Endless Love
To feel the weight of your glory falling from above
I am swept forward in this flood of grace amazing
Even now, ever new trails, my heart is blazing
One thing leads to another
And pretty soon I will discover
Rarely, are things as simple as it seems
For now, I'm in a place far beyond my wildest dreams
"How much do you trust me?"
"How deep is your love for me?"
Says the Lord, God of Hosts
It is in Christ's abundant mercy that my spirit boasts
We are playing now for high stakes
It's not a gamble when it's for souls' sake
Never was a time when the stakes have been higher
It is of critical importance, the situation is dire
Sometimes I marvel at your perfect timing
But I still need, at times, your gentle reminding
That Your generosity and love will not be outdone
And I would ask, Lord, let's keep having fun
May I disappear in you as you increase
And may the joy and wonder never cease

Let love like sweet perfume
Permeate this sacred room
No longer is Jesus in the tomb
The stone was rolled away
To reveal a brilliant light
All around stood amazed
At this miraculous sight
The sweet perfume of lilies
Was caught up on the breeze
And lifted up to Heaven on high
Like the prayers down on our knees
He is risen, he lives once more
Oh, come let us worship and adore
Like sweet perfume, we are drawn
To follow and to seek the source
We search for an invisible force
May our lives turn out to be
Like sweet perfume unto thee
Attractive to others, a blessing too
But, in all things, may it point to you
Let your love, like sweet perfume,
Surround me and always enfold
As I strive to listen and do what I'm told
A love worth more than all the gold
Let your love warm my heart and soul
Kindle the flame of love in these coals
Let me burn for you with holy desire
Let it reach ever farther and higher
To you, our prayers are oh so sweet
Without your love we are incomplete
Fill our lungs with the sweet peace of God
That we may walk where even angels haven't trod

Remember Death... Remember to Live

Today is a day of reflection and remembrance of death, of the frailty and fleeting nature of earthly life. Jesus is dead. Some feel the pain and loss, some carry on with life, but everyone is changed. Jesus was only thirty-three when he died and had only been in his public ministry for three years. I don't know how it was back then, but by today's standards, that's awfully young. I've known several people who were quite young who have passed away recently, and it makes me stop and wonder "What am I doing with my life?" Am I focusing on what really matters or am I not utilizing well what precious little time I have? It is important to remember that we will die, and things of this world are fleeting that it may temper our lives, but we should also focus on making the most of life. Live, love, hurt, laugh, cry: all of these things help us know we are truly alive. It is not just physical death that is important to remember either. Sin causes spiritual death, and true love is sacrificial: dying to oneself for the joy and well-being of another. Jesus died to give us life. His life was His love and He gave it away. Jesus gave us everything. We can and ought to give something back to him because "we would have nothing, nothing, nothing if we didn't have Him". Jesus died to nail our sins upon the cross and as we die with Christ, so too will we rise with Him. May God help us to die to ourselves and live for others. When we live for others, we also live for God: "Whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me". I pray that at the end of your life, that you don't have any regrets for wanting to do something and not doing it. Don't forget to tell your parents, your spouse, your family and friends that you love them and cherish them. Call that person, that friend that you haven't talked to in years. Be generous and compassionate to the person on the street. Don't wait, because tomorrow could be too late. We are not promised tomorrow, we are only promised right now. We are only promised today. So, today and everyday we pray: Memento Mori... Memento Vivere.

Remember Death, but most importantly... Remember to Live!

Amen

Why must they take my Lord from me?
Why, oh why, can they not see
What it is they have really done?
They have killed God's only son.
I know he came to suffer and die
But I hold him in my arms, and I cry:
"Abba, my father, why must this be true
For Jesus, he was my son too.
Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
Father, my father, if only they knew"
Let these tears that fall be as sweet perfume
As I lay our son in a borrowed tomb
Father, my father, cleanse them from their sin
Father, I beg you, don't let Satan win.
In my heart I knew this day would come,
But part of me, to this fact, was numb.
I am pierced by sorrow so deep and wide
Your cousin and I alone stand at your side.
My heart is broken on the altar of love
As my tears mix with the rain from above.
In an instant, I would trade my life for his.
I would die so that he might live.
But may it be done according to Your Will
You were my God, and you are still
My faith remains steadfast even in this darkest night
I believe that we will once again see your Holy Light

Amen

Lord God, you are the author of life and creator of all good things. Everything is yours and yours alone. But I don't always (or often) act like it. I try to rely on myself to find success, to find my worth, to overcome challenges, to have control over my life as if I don't or can't trust you to provide what I need. I'm sorry. I have a hard time letting go. Letting go of hurt, pain, sadness, anger, jealousy, and I miss the times that were beautiful and filled with joy and love, laughter and peace. I'm sorry. Help me, Lord, to surrender my control to you. Help me learn to let go and give you all of me, keeping nothing back from you. Take the good and the bad Lord, and through your great grace, blanket me in your love and bless my heart and soul with a profound peace that comes only from you. I don't pray as often as I should and, many times, I talk too much and listen too little. Help me be patient Lord and give you a little time as you have given me this time that I have.

When I pray Lord, take me away to the secret place. Take me to where you are, take me into your most sacred heart. When life is just too much to bear, show me just how much you care. When life is simply too demanding, bless me with peace that surpasses all understanding. When the winds are fair and the seas are still, my soul as well is mirror tranquil. When the storm is swirling mad with rage, you will hold me and my fears you will assuage.

Thank you for this Peace.

Amen

Jesus Lord, you sing your song over me
In your holy loving arms, you enfold me
In your presence, you surround me
And when I was lost, you found me
You breathed into me your very spirit
Call my name and I come to life when I hear it
Jesus, I come alive when I see you
I come alive when I feel you are near
I come alive when I am doing your will
I come alive today and I cannot be still
I was dead in my sin and your grace brought me back
You saved me when I was living under a heart attack
Now, my heart beats for you with love alone
And the light within is finally made known
When I think of you, when I talk about you
My face lights up like a Christmas Tree
I become electrified; I begin to come alive
Jesus, bring me back to life out of the grave I'm in
I come back to you; please cleanse me from my sin
I come to life when I worship and adore
It's a feeling that's too hard to ignore
For, if I leave it, it boils and bubbles
And I soon find myself with many troubles
But if I obey and try to stay the course
I feel I am protected by a supernatural force
I come alive in the one who gave me life
I can have life eternal because he paid the price
I'm alive because He lives in me
I'm alive because He set me free
I'm alive because He loved me
I Come to Life
I'm ALIVE!