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
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
