Praise to the Lord!

Praise to the Lord!
Maker of the Heavens and the earth.
All creation give Him oblation
And tell out His worth.
Praise now His Name!
Praise Him for the work of redeeming Love!
Joy unending: the Spirit's sending
Us daily Grace from above.


     Great is our Lord: Repeat the story
     of saving Love that saved a wretch like me!
     Shout out His praise—the God of Glory
     has made me His child, set this sinful captive free!

Sing to the Lord!
Praise Him earth and angels in the heights;
Stars give glory and tell the story
When heav'n first saw Light!
Great is His Grace!
Great the Love and Mercy He showed to me:
God descended and then befriended
A wretched sinner like me!

     Great is our Lord: Repeat the story
     of saving Love that saved a wretch like me!
     Shout out His praise—the God of Glory
     has made me His child, set this sinful captive free!

Yes, I will praise—
Praise the Rock that never will be moved!
Jubilation and exultation
Since all my sin's removed!
Sing out for joy!
Praise the Lord of Hosts and loudly exclaim:
Fetters broken since Grace has spoken;
Oh shout and praise His dear name!

     Great is our Lord: Repeat the story
     of saving Love that saved a wretch like me!
     Shout out His praise—the God of Glory
     has made me His child, set this sinful captive free!


This has been set to music (©1999)—

• See the score below.
  
• Direct link to the mp3

God Gave Us Friends

God gave us friends so that we
    could understand a part of Him,
    have a tangible picture of His care,
    have a visible representation of His covenantal Love
                              —His ever-faithfulness

Like stones in His pocket we're placed together
         sharpening,
         smoothing
     and making plain the rough places in each other
                              —and others.
  So that when He takes us out to look at us
     He sees beauty
         because the polished surfaces of our lives
              ƚɔɘlʇɘɿ — reflect
                  and
                     ɹoɹɹıɯ — mirror
                           HIM!

Stones of Fire—    His precious possessions
His prized gems,   radiating His Gentleness,
His brilliant Love—    blinding Holy fire.
In praise of Father's Firstborn,     Fair Prince of Peace,
Dayspring from on high,     angels dance in rainbow-spangled hues,
and God in Love,    with Holy Light—
Wisdom from verity—     into His vestments reaches
and pulls forth a stone,     and places in in the light.
"Rejoice!" they cry;     "My King!" it sings.
Then smiling, God     sets it back again.

Hallelujah! Lord your plans are so wise,
    Grafting us into a body to make us one another
                                  and
                                     one with You.

You give us friends to encourage,
           exhort,
                           rebuke,
                   and
             provoke in love
                    to do good works.

You have also given friends
   So that we might see
A glimpse of You through them
   Though imperfectly.
And in this imperfection
   We can see
The strange fusion
   Of God in humanity.
By His Life
   We're saved from death;
Through His Grace
   We have new Breath.
This Love that keeps us strong
   And makes us friends
Is the same Love of God
   Which holds us till the end!

- D. Benning

25-Apr-1984

Storm Beauty

UC Davis, December 2014, © D. Benning

GLORY be to God for stormy days—
   For skies of sodden-color as of foggy air;
     For roiling clouds all bunched up, jostling forth in flight;
Fresh rainfall, water-fall on sidewalk plays;
  Landscaped tossed and mottled—dank, drippy, misty snare;
    And all winds, their force and bluster and might.

All things showery, soggy, wet, dank;
  Whatever is blowing, blusterous (who knows how?)
    With swift, wild, dark, light; flashy, dim;
God fathers-forth—His glory without rank:
            Praise him.

- D. Benning
Originally written in Oct 2009
 

UC Davis, December 2014, © D. Benning