*HOPE*

 HOPE 

Pace not withered, in this night
That confounds the mind and strangles light;
For this, thy groaning, Jesus knew
(And that ragged heart-- he carries, too.)

Strange inventions in the dark drag on,
Yet our hearts attune to heaven's song.
Fallen men the Holy Light disdain:
(This world is but a cup of shame.)

Jesus bore it all-- the sorrow, the blame;
And he loves each tender, flickering flame--
For God created light, and shine it must;
His wing extends: beneath, we trust.

O behold the golden city-- on bended knee
Mansions bright prepared for thee--
Hoping still beneath God's mighty wing
As his tender mercies sing.





(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

SWEPT AWAY

SWEPT AWAY

O Father, you astound;
You mesmerize the place,
With sunsets dripping fire
And clouds cascading lace--

The Lord remembers us, he hides us--
His tender wings surround;
While heaven's dam collapses
And vengeance hammers down.

All those empty urns of lies--
Man's urge to gain and know--
Death consummates; it covers
Vanity-- so low.

The Lord will surely lift the little things

While crushing the pride of man;

The light of his Word yet flutters

Ever to warm our weary hands.

Yet what is our hope in Jesus--

To behold his holy golden crown--

Our hearts awash, then swept away

When all the world falls down.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

That Tree *

THAT TREE

Jesus Christ was a man of sorrows,
For he knew what was in man--
And he poured out his life for us, anyways.

This is the word of God.

Therein we stand.

The eternal Light that fully dwells within him
Led the Master to that tree:
Those cruel nails. His anguished cry.

The Lord. 

Instead of me.

And the haughty priests despised him--
Such scorn for the lowly Lamb!
The Word of life was made manifest--

And they pierced

His gentle hand.

But the Saviour walked there, willingly
To bleed alone
On a splintered tree--
He paid in blood to redeem his Bride.
He bled to make us clean.

My Lord, my God-- you came for us!
To save the hopeless-- the lost-- the low
How could this heart e'er forget Golgotha?
For that was my tree.
I know.







(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

Jesus Wept *

 

Father of mercy, incline thine ear
To the cry of my breaking heart;
For the wicked seek to steal and slay
With machinations in the dark.

Oh thou who created evil--
Thou who designed the glorious end--
Please take this ache-- I wait for thee--
As accusations rend--

Before each tear Jesus shed, I bow
For he knows this bloody pain;
My heart, in worship, trembles
Before the Love that bore my stain.

O eyes awash, behold the Son
Ever remember the One who for us wept
He catches the tears of his beloved--
He has torn the traps of death--

And these pangs are but for a moment
For the precious seed in sorrow sown,
The Shepherd who abides in Heaven
Carries the sheep he has loved, and known.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

* In this night

IN THIS NIGHT

Father of lights, incline thine ear

Even as darkness draweth nigh;

Hear this whispered plea, on bruised' knees

In Jesus' name we cry.

The heart it trembles at thy word;

For the word of our God that reigneth high

And all the world's meanderings

Ever fail to satisfy.

And thou knowest the bruises recompensed

To the meek who bear thy word--

You count the cuts 

                 (that traitor's kiss)

The Liar's twisting swords--

But precious in your eyes is the breaking.

The moment the flesh falls away.

Nothing left to hinder the morning

The everlasting glory of your day.

Thus catching each tear-- every faltering cry--

And thy words gathered up by heart,

You will not suffer fools to win

Or Hell to reap our part.

Thy love is our endeavoring

Thy death is our death, too

And songs are given in the night

To gather us, in you.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

* FLIGHT

FLIGHT

The broken heart is of consequence

To the Light that nurtures all;

God regards the sparrow,

The seedling, and the small.

Tangled webs strangled the sparrow--

Life and hope spun down;

But the Holy One knew everything.

Behold: wings a-flutter to a crown.

Shattered glass releases.

Father's love streams through.

The traps of night dispersing

Into gentle glints of dew.

The body of Jesus, broken--

He broke the shackles from our souls.

Out of darkness, hear his still small voice

As wings overcome the holes.

Feathers etched with golden singe--

Silver songs rise up, and soar--

The precious saints take flight in JESUS

To glory, forevermore.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)