A Church with a Heart for our Community

March 17 Thursday

“Top of the morning to you! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you! We are sure “blessed” to be recipients of God’s love through Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! I trust that you are either wearing something green or singing ‘green’ songs or eating your ‘greens’ today…even if you are not Irish. I will be praying for you today, asking Father: May the road rise to meet you – The wind be always at your back – May the sunshine warm upon your face – The rains fall soft upon your fields – And until we meet again – May God hold you in the palm of His Hand. Amen.

If you will listen close, I will sing to you my witness this morning.  It is the tune: “When Irish eyes are smiling”. The words I would use are: “He found me with a burden and He lifted it from me – He found me full of sorrow but He changed it into glee – When all around was darkness, He made the sun to shine – Do you wonder that I love Him and call Him friend of mine.”

While I am thinking “green” let me give you a personal prayer – it uses the tune: Londonderry Air – which we hear in the song “Danny Boy”. “If on my soul a trace of sin remaineth – If on my hands a stain may yet be seen – If one dark thought a wearied mind retaineth – O wash me, Lord, till every part be clean – For I would live that men may see thyself in me – I would in faith ascend thy holy hill – And with my thoughts in tune with thy divinity – Would learn how best to do thy holy will.”

Since Easter is just a few days away, I want to share one more song that is sung to an Irish tune – Mother Machree…just the chorus: O the charm of the cross! How I love to be there! – With the love that shines from it, what love can compare? – The seal of my ransom in Calvary I see – All my sin, O my Saviour, laid upon thee! The last two lines of the last verse go like this: “There’s a place in my heart which the Saviour must fill – No other can take it, and none ever will.” – Albert Orsborn.

And now, a word from the Word: Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy  of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! Romans 15:13  The Message.

Be blessed today…and wear a smile!