Poetry

Gifts of Mercy

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high Luke 1:78

Mercy may seem like a small thing, to someone who is an outside observer, but to the one who is receiving it, Mercy is the most necessary thing on the planet!

While we are busy shopping, celebrating and giving gifts it is important to remind ourselves that the most important gifts are unlikely to be found in stores. The gifts of greatest value can only be given after our own hearts have been touched by God’s mercy. In Bethlehem’s manger God chose to come and visit us and for 33 years He stayed until the day when His blood was given as His sacrifice of mercy. Remembering that amazing gift, then what gifts of mercy can we give to others today?

A Gift of Mercy Can be

A pint of blood for someone we don’t know

A handful of tissues when tears start to flow

A silent embrace when someone’s world falls apart

A light at the door when we come home after dark

A kiss of acceptance from someone we’ve hurt

A check in the mail when we’ve been out of work

Angel songs in the night when we’re out in the field

And the Babe in the manger before whom we kneel!

1514032666931_image

Midnight Message

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Sorry it’s a day late but still appropriate for this time in our nation’s history. Where are the Paul Revere voices and the listening ears?

So through the night rode Paul Revere

And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm, —
A cry of defiance and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere

He Couldn’t Stay on the Cross

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

After the crown of thorns

And after they beat our Lord

And after He cried “I thirst”

And a bitter cup was offered

After the nails were driven

And the thief cried, “Remember me!”

At the foot of the cross they gambled

While He gave His life on the tree

1508069625789_image.jpg

Then soldiers were sent to see

If their deadly job was done well

They came and pierced His sweet side

Through that wound His blood was spilled

Then a thunder cloud roared overhead

While they stood looking up at the cross

And Jesus hung quietly still

While His friends thought all was lost

But He couldn’t stay on the cross after darkness

Was the rule they required that day

So Joseph of Arimathea

Came to take Him away

He couldn’t stay on the cross after nightfall

While he waited for Easter’s bright dawn

And the mighty breath of the Spirit

And the angel who rolled back the stone!
Dearest friends: In honor of our Lord I post this simple poem as a remembrance of all He has done for each of us. Have a blessed Easter and may you pause to reflect deeply on Jesus who has become our life through His astonishing choice to give us His on the cross!