A call to reach the urban jungle

In a bustling city that we know as Old Jerusalem,
Jesus walked the streets in search of those imprisoned by their sin.
To the helpless and the homeless He reached out and gave a hand
as He lent His ears to listen and His heart to understand.

In the cities of our nation crime and commerce take their toll
as the din of daily traffic drowns the cry of human souls.
Who will hear them? Who will answer? Who will reach as Jesus did
to the corporate king who’s lonely or the dealer’s wife and kid?

To the city God has called us (near both wealth and poverty)
where a concrete garden blooms with colorful diversity.
Midst the steel and glass of buildings where imaginations soar
we’ve been placed to heal the hurting as the Savior did before.

What began within a garden at the dawn of human time
will conclude within a city where the Lord will reign sublime.
All the saints of all the ages will surround the heav’nly throne
as we worship with the angels in our vast eternal home.

(tune: Ode to Joy)

A baccalaureate hymn

Reach for the stars, but stoop to help your neighbor
who’s lost his footing on life’s rocky road.
Success is measured by much more than dollars.
Your worth derives from lifting someone’s load.
The bottom line (when all is said and finished)
is what you’ve given, not how much you’re owed.

Set lofty goals, but seek the Lord to reach them.
It’s His desire to help you to succeed.
He’ll make a way when dreams are dashed or doubtful.
He can restore the hope you dearly need.
God knows your name and can be fully trusted
if you let go and let Him take the lead.

Glance back with pride at what you have accomplished.
Gaze forward at new opportunities.
Look deep within and focus on your motives.
Don’t overlook but own the things you see.
Do not be blind to flaws that blur your vision.
Just visualize who God wants you to be.

Reach for the stars but serve the One who made them.
His grand design is purposeful and good.
Your God will clarify what seems uncertain
while guiding you to do the things you should.
Take confidence in knowing what He’s promised
will be provided as He said it would.

* The above lyrics can be sung to the tune FINLANDIA

It’s boogie time with the ballot box;
The Him Behind the Hymn

Dancing with the Stars (and Stripes)
It’s time to boogie with the ballot box

The right to vote is freedom’s gift.
It gives us each the chance
to stand beneath the Stars and Stripes,
kick up our heels and dance.

To vote means leaning left or right,
then waltzing with our choice.
When we embrace what’s dear to us,
our values find a voice.

But tango-ing with campaign ads
leaves most of us worn out.
The dirty dance steps they employ
results in jaded doubt.

The rumba of election day
won’t come a day too soon.
I’m weary of the non-stop spin
each morning, night and noon

The Him Behind the Hymn
Remembering Martin Luther this Reformation Day

“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
was Martin Luther’s hymn
that took aim at the sitting Pope
and at the Vatican.

That German monk expressed his views
about indulgences,
with pen and parchment nailed his point
to sparse and faint applause.

This lonely priest said, “Here I stand!
I can do nothing less.
I will not fleece my faithful flock
and charge when they confess.”

Ah yes, young Martin thumbed his nose
and turned his back on Rome.
Rejecting manmade “rules of God”
the seeds of faith were sown.

And so on Reformation Day
we thank God for a man
who stood up most courageously
with a hammer in his hand.

* October 31st is Reformation Sunday

The Covenant Triennial turns heads in D.C.;
Transformed for Service

A Capitol Phenomenon
The Covenant Triennial turns heads in D.C.

Not far from where Michelle Obama
wakes up every day,
eleven hundred women
have converged to sing and pray.

They have gathered from St. Louis,
San Francisco and Tucson
as well as from Seattle
(in the other Washington).

There are women from Chicago,
Dallas, Nashville and Detroit
(not to mention gals from Boston
New York City and Beloit).

They have joined their hearts
to listen to the Word of God proclaimed
and to protest human trafficking
that keeps young girls in chains

It’s a Covenant “camp meeting”
in the middle of D.C.
where the world can hear the heartbeat
of its Women’s Ministries.

Transformed for Service
The “unofficial” Triennial hymn

With unveiled faces they are reflecting
God’s awesome glory for all to see
They are a mirror of grace and goodness
and of the power by which we’re free.

With upraised arms they humbly acknowledge
a transformation from what they were.
God’s endless mercy new every morning
is ever faithful, steadfast and sure.

With outreached hands they join with each other,
sisters united in God’s great cause.
Theirs is His mission birthing potential
in those now victims of broken laws.

With grateful hearts they worship the Savior
who by His Spirit makes us all new.
We are His body remade to serve Him
in what we say and in what we do.

* the above can be sung to the tune for “Morning Has Broken”

** The theme of TXIII is Reflecting God’s Glory and is based on 2 Cor. 3:18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

*** to read more about The Triennial Conference of Women’s Ministries of The Evangelical Covenant Church, go to www.covchurch.org