Loving Lord,
What a privilege to come to you,
We who are burdened down with
Cares and fears known and unknown,
Eager to find rest in and with YOU,
And learn YOUR light and easy ways!
For this we praise YOU and draw near.
What delight to enter in, swaddled
Holy in the Glories, ceasing, calming, still.
Waiting ‘til the stirring winds of Spirit rush
Filling time and space with Word that sees,
Probes, pierces, joins together-again well!
Again, we praise YOU and draw nearer still.
What surprise, then, to hear plaintive pleas,
Urging us to follow, focusing not on self or
Direction but YOU, displacing all concerns
With the following—no, not quite; rather,
Nailing all concerns to the beam YOU bear!
Then, we praise YOU and know we are near.
What joy that YOUR load makes ours light;
YOUR emptying and extinguishing fills us up;
YOUR “abandonment” joins ours to fashion
Communities of care and healing, that offer
Life for death, joy for sorrow, love for all!
We praise YOU, now near enough to be one.
What surprise! Within YOUR calm and rest,
The grace and peace, YOUR cross-bearing
Sweeps us up and drives us out fueled by
Passions, sufferings, and dying for others,
The burdened, crushed, fearful, restless all.
We praise YOU, near enough now to be
YOUR Body, in YOUR name, through YOUR
Spirit, Amen!