Jesus calls out to us: "Come to Me"
And, filled with faith, we walk upon the sea
With our eyes upon the master, we rise above
And we walk to him with hearts full of love

But then we look down and see just where we are
We falter and start to sink after we came so far
We reach out for Jesus to save us again
We lost our focus and what happened then?

We have all been prodigal
We have all been dead in our sin
We have all denied the Father
And wanted our own life to begin

We have chased things that leave us empty
We have consumed things that do not satisfy
We have searched for love in all the wrong places
We hit rock bottom, ready to break down and cry

We are in the land of loss and suffering
We brought this upon ourselves
Wandering in the barren lands
Chained up in our own personal hells

Eventually we come to our senses
We see the price that our actions cost
We come crawling back to our home
But we are back; we are no longer lost

We are filled with sorrow and remorse
But the past is in the past; right now, we celebrate
"Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet
The finest wine put in his cup and meat upon his plate"

Today, all of Heaven rejoices with a grand feast
Light and life arise like the morning sun in the east
There is now much laughter and music and dance
The colors are more vivid, and my senses enhanced

We will come from suffering to celebration
We will come to a more perfect relation
We will know the true joy of Easter morn
Because, from out of suffering, we have been borne

Lord, thank you for your saving grace and for calling us to yourself. We are called to rise above the trials and storms of life, and we can when we keep our eyes fixed on you. But we lose focus Lord, we doubt, and we are pulled under. Save us Lord and give us the courage to step out on the water and go where you call us. We also pray that you would see us through the suffering to celebrate with you again. Help us be mindful of our sins and soften our hearts to be remorseful and repentant so we may rise with you in your resurrection. Amen.

We will close with these words:
"There's no one more thankful to sit at the table than the one who best remembers hunger's pain. And no heart loves greater than the one that is able to recall the time when all it knew was shame". --Steven Curtis Chapman "Remember Your Chains"

Such a big party,

it rings over and above --


the crowds and the roofs!

Lights lights lights everywhere
Smiles lighting up every face
Cheers rolling out every moment
Love pouring out every heart
Peace overcrowding every atom
Making room for only happiness
Everything else forgotten
True celebration

Towering quite over my palette
Delicious array of crunchies
And soft munchies
Celebratory dances hail
In the taste buds
Let the festivities begin
Begin with the array
To please the palettes
Of matter and mind
Yoo-hoo
It’s already in the air

Every day we are

celebrating without frills --


just being grateful.

Don't wrap me in a hearse of gloom
When it's time for me to go 

Don't drape yourself in black or white 
But in the colours of a rainbow

Shed no tears of death in life 
Let your heart feel no  pain 

For I will be in a sky of blue
With sunshine in a frame 

Spread my ashes far in a river 
I'll flow and meet the sea 

On waves of moon bathed silver 
Sailing I shall be 

Leave me too with flowers 
With marigolds I will stay

A whim of floral frenzy 
Will touch the sombre  grey 

I, a part of earth and water 
Why mope and sigh and grieve  

Burned by flames of pure fire 
I'll float like a feather on a leaf 

Though with a cry we arrive 
There's laughter when we're born 

Let the smiles linger on
Why make it oh, forlorn 

No tears of death in life 
No crease, no sorrow's crinkle

Think of me with happiness 
And know me in a twinkle 

Don't wrap me in a hearse of gloom 
When it's time for me to go 

Don't drape me in black or white 
But in the colours of a rainbow

what a privilege it is
to celebrate with fireworks.

to hear thundering booms fill the air
and not simultaneously be full of fear.

to have the sky painted
with vibrant dazzling colours -
not the grounds stained
with new shades of red.

to hear the calming whistle
and anticipate a euphony -
not a cacophony of
cracks, bangs, screams and cries.

what a privilege it is
to have never heard the latter.

what a privilege it is
to associate explosion
with new beginnings -
not an impending end.

what a privilege it is
to celebrate with fireworks.