Praise God...

The Outreach/Teaching Pastor of our congregation is in a country in Africa...here is an excerpt on how he described a worship service where they congregated at a church in a massive slum...

 

  "The service started at 10:30 and 4 churches gathered as one.  The service lasted till about 4:00 p.m.  Yes – that is about 5 ½ hours! We sang and sang and danced and sang.  'Someone' led the breaking of bread and we sang a lot more, I preached and then we sang and sang and they welcomed each and every guest...."

Don't stories like this simply compel us to join in?! A foretaste of Heaven on earth!

(This is a read-one-verse-only-if-you-prefer poem, 

because penning praise is an on-going song...)

Praise God; time thunders with the proof of mercy’s boundless fount

Man’s visage cannot comprehend the endlessness of He

Who hangs on spans of nothingness wonders too rife to count

And runs us through and through with love’s unfailing Majesty

Praise God; let us full-awed bow down and lay before His throne

Off'rings of song and service to the One who grants His grace

And gave upon the cross His all, man’s sin-curse to atone

He saves us from a fall that would-should ban us from His face

Praise God; His rod, though it grieves us, He sends for our good

Pray we, with what He lends return a sacrifice of praise

His ways and thoughts, past finding out are oft misunderstood

Yet still He fills the seed that spills and overflows earth’s trays

Praise God; let everything with breath exalt His holy name

An orchestra of worship to his Lordship let us be

For if we fail the stones his Most Worthy-ness will proclaim

And magnify the One who loves and cares for you and me

Praise God; applaud the shepherd of the stars and mankind’s souls

He, like a Father pities us and provides ev’ry need

Each humble prayer he hears; His kindness through our blindness rolls

We, audience-recipients of goodness-mercy’s creed

Praise God; the air is like a thoroughfare hungry for song

Then, though cast down we can rise up, as on an eagle’s wing

Sufficient is the grace of He who makes the weakest strong

Then oh, forbid that we forget to sing and sing and sing

Praise God; the pod is full of fruit like faith's laud, full of joy

Then, though we see the outward and are often torn apart

We labor ‘neath Love’s watchfulness that nothing can destroy

And trust and fear the One who knows the fathoms of each heart

Praise God; for death has no awful dominion over us

Darkness and hate and greed cannot prevail, for He is Light

Thus evil cannot triumph over Living Hope; Jesus

Sing glory-hallelujah for the power of His might

Compassionate, He does not leave us comfortless in grief
A confidante to pour upon His list'ning ear, our pain
The solace of His sympathy anoints tears with relief
And helps us, in spite of our loss to love and laugh again

Praise He who tends the tree and bends the sea with the Unseen

He showers us with blessing; who the sum of them can tell?

His whisper calms fear's tempest, turns the barren backdrop green

From dark of night a spark expands and morning anthems swell

Praise God; where imminence of unknown rests in perfect peace

His promises steadfast, in Him believers bide, secure

No foe can overthrow the One whose favors never cease

Heavens and earth will pass away but His Word will endure

    

Praise God; for faithfulness and Love, for Truth and Righteousness

Praise Him for He is Holy, Healer, Hope, Redemption's Door

Praise Him; through His forgiveness man may live victorious

Let earth’s song be a prelude to Heaven's forevermore

© Janet Martin