2022 May

 

We Believe What We Cannot See

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/1/22  

 

We believe what we cannot see,

What has not happened yet.

We wait on God for what will be,

Patiently, without regret.

 

Though others might not believe,

And raise a cry of doubt.

Their ridicule we may receive,

For what we believe about.

 

If we believe with all our heart,

And to our faith holdfast.

Nothing can tear us apart,

We will overcome at last.

 

Lord, I Come to You in Prayer

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/2/22  

 

Lord, I come to you in prayer,

In my times of greatest need,

Asking for your strength and care,

For your help I humbly plead.

Chorus:

Lord, to you I plead my case,

When I meet you face to face.

 

Lord, when I come to you this hour,

Asking you to see me through,

For by your almighty power,

And strength, all things I can do.

Chorus:

 

Lord, when I falter and sin,

To you I come to confess,

Seeking your grace and pardoned,

That once more my soul you'll bless.

Chorus:

 

Sometimes It Doesn’t Take Too Much

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/3/22  

 

Sometimes it doesn't take too much,

To touch another's heart.

We can offer a loving touch,

To let the healing start.

 

It happened to Saul that way one day,

When Ananias came.

Upon Saul’s head his hands did lay,

Saul’d never be the same.

 

Ananias didn't want to go,

He'd rather stay away,

Through his obedience God would show,

A miracle that day.

 

What might happen to us today,

If we hear God in prayer.

We'll do God's will in some small way,

Sharing God's love and care.

 

In a World of Hurt and Pain

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/4/22  

 

In a world of hurt and pain,

When we feel unsure,

We turn to God once again,

To help us to endure.

 

God's been with us in the past,

Helping us through before.

We know that troubles cannot last,

God will triumph once more.

 

Cast all burdens upon the Lord,

Watch what the Lord can do.

Let faith in God be underscored,

For God will see us through.

 

Jesus Prayer for His Disciples

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/5/22  

 

Jesus prayed for his disciples,

And all who’d come to believe.

Through the prayer of Jesus,

God's blessing we receive.

 

Jesus taught us how to pray,

What we call the Lord's prayer,

To intimately speak with God,

And ask for the Lord's care.

 

Jesus would often go off and pray,

A model for each of us,

That we might spend more time with God,

As followers of Jesus.

 

As We Read God’s Holy Word

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/6/22  

 

As we read God's holy word,

The Bible speaks to us,

Divine truth from the living Lord,

Our Savior, Lord Jesus.

 

The word was written long ago,

For those who would receive it,

To guide us in the way to go,

If we simply believe it.

 

Lord, open up our hearts and minds,

That we may learn from you,

So that this and everyday finds,

That your will we're willing to do.

 

What Might We Do for God Today?

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/7/22  

 

What might we do for God today,

If we were to earnestly pray?

Asking the Lord to lead us,

Who are called to follow Jesus.

 

Lord, what can we do for you?

For your sake what might we do?

Show us what is on your heart,

Help us today to do our part.

 

Reveal to us your holy will,

Show us a need we can fulfill.

Open our eyes and help us see,

How we might serve you faithfully.

 

We Celebrate All the Mothers

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/8/22  

 

We celebrate all the mothers,

Who have helped to raise us,

Both our own and all the others.

We pray, “Thank you, Jesus!”

 

Mothers have taught us how to love,

By how they have loved us,

Reflecting love of God above.

We pray, “Thank you, Jesus!”

 

Share with all mothers, thanks and praise,

For all the ways they've blessed us.

We sing their praise, our voices raise,

We pray, “Thank you, Jesus!”

 

Holy God, Speak to Us

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/9/22  

 

Holy God, speak to us,

Through your holy word,

The wise words of Jesus,

That the disciples heard.

 

Holy God, speak to us,

In our times of prayer,

Heart-felt words of Jesus,

Offering love and care.

 

Holy God, speak to us,

In our conversations,

May the words of Jesus,

Bring new revelations.

 

Holy God, speak to us,

Out in your creation,

May we walk with Jesus,

In quiet contemplation.

 

When There Is Trouble in Our Soul

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/10/22  

 

When there is trouble in our soul,

It affects our whole life,

Until we are again made whole,

And resolve the strife.

 

When it happens be in prayer,

Seek God's grace and healing.

In our pain God is there,

And knows what we are feeling.

 

In the darkness seek the light,

It may start as just a spark,

But as the dawn overtakes the night,

God's light overcomes the dark.

 

Come to Me, My People

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/11/22  

 

Come to me, my people,

Says the Lord, our God.

Come into my presence,

Bow your heads and nod.

 

In this sanctuary,

You're on holy ground.

With joy lift up your voices,

Let your praises resound.

 

With penitent hearts,

Lift your voice in prayer,

And receive forgiveness.

Then go with others share.

 

Spread Good News far and near,

By what you say and do,

For others need to hear.

Go now. I'm sending you.

 

Peter Had a Vision (Acts 10-11)

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/12/22  

 

Peter had a vision.

Cornelius had one too.

Peter received a mission,

Of what he was to do.

 

A sheet came down from glory,

Filled with animals to eat.

God solidified the story,

Three times it did repeat.

 

Peter pondered this revelation,

About what all it meant.

At Cornelius’ invitation,

Peter went where he was sent.

 

He preached to Cornelius,

And all there who would hear it,

Of the death and life of Jesus,

They received the Holy Spirit.

 

Peter fully understood,

The meaning of the vision.

He must do all he could,

To share the Great Commission.

 

God of Love and Mercy

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/13/22  

 

God of love and mercy,

We come to you in prayer.

Whenever we need you,

You are always there.

 

Thank you, Lord, for listening,

Whenever we're in need.

For you always hear us,

When for your help we plead.

 

Help us to remember,

To stop and give you praise.

Anytime that we pray,

We're blessed by you always.

 

This Is a New Day

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/14/22  

 

This is a new day,

For us to rejoice,

And to the Lord pray,

In praise lift your voice.

 

A beautiful day,

Begins with the Lord,

After night gives way,

The light is restored.

 

Thank God for this day,

As it now begins.

Let's get underway,

As the door opens.

 

Ask the Lord today,

What all you might do.

Live for God this day,

That God's given you.

 

We Pray to the Holy One

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/15/22  

 

We pray to the Holy One,

That your holy will be done.

Guide us in what we may do,

To faithfully follow you.

 

On this spiritual journey,

Help us follow faithfully,

That we might be your hands and feet,

To every person that we meet.

 

God of love and God of power,

Be with us each and every hour.

Help us, God, for this we pray,

As we live our lives today.

 

In God’s Time All Will Be

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/15/22  

 

In God's time all will be.

When God's will, will be done,

Then and for all eternity,

Following the Holy One.

 

In a world of distractions,

God's not always easily heard.

To answer God's call to action,

We must listen for God's word.

 

Take some holy time today,

To be with the Lord Jesus.

With him walk and talk and pray,

Allowing him to guide us.

 

In the Midst of So Much Hate

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/16/22  

 

In the midst of so much hate,

God of love, we turn to you.

Help us to share your loving trait,

In all we say and do.

 

Love and forgiveness overcome sins,

For you have forgiven us.

In the end we know love wins,

At the return of Jesus.

 

Help us to act, not just react,

Help us to do your will.

By each kind and loving act,

Your Great Commandment fulfill.

 

Like the Prophets Long Ago

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/17/22  

 

Like the prophets long ago,

Lord, may we speak your word.

That wherever we may go,

You're a good news will be heard.

 

Your word is written on our hearts,

That together we might be,

One body made of many parts,

For all the world to see.

 

May your Holy Spirit fill us,

With the power to speak out,

To share our faith in Jesus,

To all people all about.

 

Paul Heard, “Come and Help Us” (Acts 16)

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/18/22  

 

Paul heard, “Come and help us,”

Spoken in a vision.

He'd share the love of Jesus,

Where God led his mission.

 

To Asia Paul wanted to go,

But God had a different plan,

Something else for Paul to do,

Help the Macedonian.

 

Paul never traveled all alone,

Others were always there.

How might the love of God be shown?

What mission might we share?

 

Today may we be so aware,

To perceive a divine prod,

When God calls us to go and share,

Whether near or far abroad.

 

Sing the World God Imagines

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/20/22  

 

Chorus:

Sing the world God imagines.

Sing the world God conceives.

Sing the world God embraces.

Sing the world God believes.

 

The world is blessed with sacred songs,

Together sung in praise,

To God to whom the world belongs,

Let us our voices raise.

Chorus:

 

God celebrated creation,

Everything that God had made,

As we sing from every nation,

Our gratitude's displayed.

Chorus:

 

Imagining what's before us,

We sing as with one voice.

Joining the heavenly chorus,

Together we rejoice.

Chorus:

(proposed for the Hymn Society conference)

 

Paul Was in a Prison Cell

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/21/22  

 

Paul was in a prison cell,

And though he was mistreated,

With his soul all was well,

His faith was not defeated.

 

In the night he sang and prayed,

When an earthquake came.

Though an escape could have been made,

Paul remained all the same.

 

The jailer feared all would escape,

And he would be to blame.

But new life for him was taking shape,

By believing in Christ’s name.

 

New life came when he believed,

Paul baptized him and his family.

The prisoners’ wounds he then relieved.

In Christ all are set free.

 

Jesus Arose into Glory

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/23/22  

 

Jesus arose into glory,

His earthly task now done.

Then came the rest of the story,

The Holy Spirit's work begun.

 

The teacher had taught his students well,

All they'd need to know.

With the spirit’s power they would tell,

All where’er they’d go.

 

We Sing and Celebrate

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/24/22  

 

We sing and celebrate,

All that God has done.

In a world filled with hate,

God loves everyone.

 

For God so loved us all,

But God sent Jesus,

To overcome the fall,

And reunite with us.

 

Pray for those who don't know,

That they may believe,

Jesus came to save, so,

New life they may receive.

 

All Praise We Sing to God Above

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/25/22  

 

All praise we sing to God above,

We're shares with us eternal love,

Love that blesses everything,

Love that makes our hearts sing.

 

The Lord Jesus came to save,

As he rose beyond the grave.

Eternal life he gives to us,

We are so blessed by Jesus.

 

The Holy Spirit's power uplifts,

It gives to us spiritual gifts,

Gifts of speaking and of love,

And peace, which we need much more of.

 

We praise the Holy Trinity,

Three in one and one in three.

It's hard to grasp. It seems odd.

We are triply blessed by our triune God.

 

Onward Christian Peacemakers

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/27/22  

 

Onward Christian peacemakers,

Following the Lord,

As the Prince of Peace may,

Peace now be restored.

For there is much turmoil,

Everywhere we turn,

May swords become plowshares

And war no more learned.

Chorus:

Onward Christian peacemakers,

Following the Lord,

As the Prince of Peace may,

Peace now be restored.

 

There has been much grieving.

There has been much pain,

Caused by hate and anger,

Please, Lord, come again.

Show us how to overcome,

All our faults and wrongs.

You are Lord almighty,

To you all belongs.

Chorus:

 

God of Everything That Is

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/30/22  

 

God of everything that is,

All belongs to you.

And everywhere we look, your,

Love comes shining through.

 

Without you nothing would be,

There would not be much.

But by your word always made,

By your loving touch.

 

Help us to see the wonder,

In each creation,

And behold its creator,

In its revelation.

 

The Spirit Gives Us Power

                        Jeffrey B. Childs 5/31/22  

 

The Spirit gives us power.

The Spirit gives us gifts.

Even in our darkest hour,

The Spirit us uplifts.

 

Will you receive spiritual fruits,

Which we are called to grow.

We are blessed by what suits,

The Spirit to bestow.

 

May the Spirit speak to us,

And inspirational word,

Reminding us of Jesus,

And what all we have heard.