How beautiful this sacrifice
Of prayer and love that is our Christ
For we were once bent down in shame
Now we bend to praise your name

My God my God do you hear me crying out?
I am in this pit of darkness and sin
My hands and feet are bound
From my lips there comes no sound
This guilt and shame it crushes me
Do you hear me? Do my pleas reach your ears
For I am mourning and weeping in this valley of tears
Save me Lord in your endless mercy
Let me drink deep, for I am thirsty

My Lord my Lord do you hear me crying out?
Do you still hear me even when I doubt?
I know your love for me is more than I deserve
But it is my desire to take this opportunity to serve
You have freed me of my chains washed me white as snow
Help me take these moments and begin to grow
Do you hear me Lord crying out in thanksgiving
For I am once more back among the living

My Jesus my Jesus do you hear me crying out?
Do you hear the praise and wonder as I come to shout?
How can we keep from crying out
To share what God has done
How can we keep from crying out
And not wanting to tell everyone
How can we keep silent
When we know just what it cost
How can we keep silent
When we find the one that was lost
How can we keep still
When we have the legs to dance
How can we keep still
When we have this great romance
How can we hold back
When we have been given everything
How can we hold back
When the very rocks cry out and sing
How can we not feel another way
When we take the time to sit and pray

Lord, we all have our demons, but you can make us clean
In temptation help me open my heart and eyes to see
Your presence and the goodness that lies within
That you would fill our needs helping us not to sin
It is so hard for me to accept both good and bad
To embrace this light and dark with everything I have
The flesh is not bad but the picture is altered
And, as a result our perception has faltered
You came to call sinners to restore us by your glory
We are yours Lord: a special part of the story
You bind the wounded, heal the sick and lame
Eyes, ears and hearts are opened at the sound of your name
You are Lord over our life and our death
Keep us close to you and, when the time has come,
Bring us home to you when we take our final breath
To live forever in fullness and love singing praises to the son

Jesus healer of our every ill
Let all things be done according to your will
You heal our broken hearts and, once more, make us whole
You are an oasis to the desert of our soul
You are Lord over all creation: water, earth, and sky
When I am weak and worn, into your arms I fly
You are the divine physician; healer of what ails us
We look to you for healing when this world fails us
I would be lost if I didn't know that you are by my side
I dwell in the safety of your shadow when I am terrified
I love you my Lord, take pity on my state
Have mercy on me in your love so great
If it please you Lord, take this pain and suffering
That, of your power, I might sing
But if you don't and this is my cross to bear
I am reminded of your suffering there
Let this be my sacrifice pleasing unto you
Hear the prayers of your servant; faithful and true
I offer it all up for the intentions of those people today
Especially those who need healing in some way
Look on us with eyes of love; hide not your face
We call you now: let your presence saturate this space

Lord, sometimes I get discouraged and I start to question why
Especially when things don’t work out no matter how hard I try.
When the words won’t come and the thoughts don’t flow,
When minutes feel like hours and time moves painfully slow
When I am challenged, you use these moments to teach.
I know you are here even though you feel out of reach.
Lord, I trust that my being with you is good enough:
You take my awkward feeble attempt and edges rough
You make it something beautiful and polish it to shine.
Even in our brokenness, you are still divine.
Lord, help me when I feel that what I give is not enough
You love me when life is good and when times are tough.
My worth isn’t measured by what I can or cannot do,
My worth is measured by who I am to you:
Cherished, and beloved until the end of days.
Often you work in mysterious ways
But I trust you Lord, even though I don’t always see
At least not right away, the lessons you are teaching me.
So, in the challenges Lord, I thank you; I bless your Holy Name
And I pray that every day, you help me do the same.

Amen

My child just be silent, just be still
Just because I can, doesn’t mean I will.
Sometimes silence speaks volumes when words can fall flat.

The rich and the poor, greatest and least
Are seated together to enjoy the feast
Here at the table of plenty the water never runs dry
You’ve been invited to the wedding of the Most High
His blood becomes the most precious wine
His body becomes food; most divine
Joyful music fills the air
And suddenly we become aware
Christ unites himself to us in the most intimate way:
He enters every part of us and dwells therein today.
To be so close to this purest form of love
Is a little bit of heaven come down from above
And, once exposed to such energy, it must be expressed
To create new life in the flesh and in the soul.
So often, we try to put other things in a God shaped hole
We are left empty and wanting more
Our vision is clouded, but God came to restore.
True love conquers fear, and death loses its power
It is a safe shelter and, forever, your strong tower.
We have this crazy love that transcends both time and space
And from this love; we receive mercy and grace.
The love of God is greater far
Than the sands in the sea and every star.
He looks at us with warm, bright eyes,
I pray that we would soon realize:
That love conquers all, not war or hate
And that we would act accordingly before it’s all too late.

See your gathered people,
Huddled in a house of stone
clad in bloom.
A chilled aura
lit by candle light.

In Praise

In gratitude and thanksgiving we give you praise
Wisdom and blessings on the one who prays
We honor you the Most High God
We dance and sing you give you laud
We celebrate what we have received
Your life your very presence in us we believed
In the Eucharist our thanksgiving
Font of life and hope for the living
Your justice and mercy we extol
And in your loving arms you will console
Those who mourn and the pushed aside
Their cries are heard and their pleas are not denied
Your Love is boundless and Your grace abounds
As I get closer my heart now pounds
It beats so strong with life and vigor
You are radioactive and my heart gets even bigger
I love to love and i try to love like you
And your Love is the strongest glue
In gratitude for all the blessings and gifts
I come back to you with a song on my lips
There is a fire in my heart that will not die or dim
Because it was put there by none other than Him
Take Lord, all that we have to give
Multiply it and show us how to truly live
To serve not only our neighbor but even our foes
Treating all with care and respect for we are like the rose
Beautiful and sweet but be warned
If not handled right we may feel the thorns
We thank you God for the earth and all you have made
And still you know every hair on our head and every grass blade
And for your creation: a masterpiece and work of art
That we should love you with all our mind and soul and heart