2026 February

 

In Zion Let the Trumpet Blow

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/2/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Joel 2

 

In Zion, let the trumpet blow,

And consecrate a fast.

To God, let the assembly show,

Renewed faith as in the past.

 

Consecrate the congregation.

Assemble everyone.

Renew faithful dedication,

To the Lord, the three in one.

 

Why should it ever be said here,

Wherever is there God?

Spread the good news. Both far and near,

To God shout and applaud!

 

The Acceptable Time Is Now

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/3/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) 2 Corinthians 6

 

The acceptable time is now,

The day of salvation.

Come before the Lord God and bow,

At God's revelation.

 

Eternal life lies before you.

It starts on new today.

The past is past, take up the new.

Live life fully each day.

 

We can't go back. Just let it go.

Let us follow the Lord.

Eternal life starts here below,

As Jesus leads us upward.

 

There Is a Way We Ought to Live

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/4/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Matthew 6

 

There is a way we ought to live,

Yes, Jesus is the way.

He taught us to fast and forgive,

Upon a mountain one day.

 

He warned us about righteousness,

How it is not for show.

We give and pray the Lord to bless.

These things God alone should know.

 

Then from his heart the Lord did share,

What we have come to know,

The moving words of the Lord's Prayer,

To help us in faith to grow.

 

Jesus also had words to say,

About treasures we've stored.

Those here on earth will waste away.

We should invest in the Lord.

 

There in Eden

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/6/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Genesis 2

 

There in Eden, humanity,

Was free to eat the fruit,

Except for that one specific tree,

That was a fatal pursuit.

 

Instructions to Adam and Eve,

Would cause a strong desire,

That caused them to think and believe,

Their wisdom could be higher.

 

Though we have been given so much,

Is there still something more,

We desire to grasp or clutch,

Something we're still striving for?

 

We have God's love. What more really,

Do we need, to be fed?

We are so blessed most graciously.

God gives us our daily bread.

 

With just one bite the whole world changed.

Self-will defied God's will.

No longer what God had arranged,

Would be accessible.

 

Th' Apostle Paul Wrote in Romans

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/7/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Romans 5

 

Th’ apostle Paul wrote in Romans,

Through sin, death grips us.

God defeats original sin,

Through the love of Jesus.

 

Back in Eden it came to pass,

All soon there did begin.

Through the original trespass,

A fallen world we live in.

 

Sin existed before the law,

‘Twas from the beginning.

Though one man sinned, God then foresaw,

Christ overcome sinning.

 

God Is My Light and Salvation

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/9/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Psalm 27

 

God is my light and salvation,

Of whom then, shall I fear?

God is my mighty protection.

For me, God is always near.

 

The Lord is the strength of my life.

God's strength will see me through.

The Lord is stronger than all strife,

That my enemies might do.

 

I do believe that I will see,

The goodness of the Lord.

In the land of the living, we,

Will see God's kin-dom restored.

 

By the Spirit Jesus Was Led

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/10/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Matthew 4

 

By the Spirit Jesus was led,

Into the wilderness.

For forty days he was not fed,

But prevailed, nevertheless.

 

By Satan Jesus was tempted,

Out in the wilderness.

But God's will was not preempted.

Christ kept his faithfulness.

 

By scripture Jesus was sustained,

Out in the wilderness.

His faithfulness Jesus maintained,

By it he was truly blessed.

 

What lesson may we take from this,

In our own wilderness?

Christ and the scriptures are for us,

In times of temptedness.

 

Abraham Went When God Called Him

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/11/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Genesis 12

 

Abraham went when God called him.

He obeyed God's command.

So, through faith God LED Abraham,

Into the promised land.

 

What will we do when God calls us,

Like Peter, James, and John?

Become disciples of Jesus,

Hear the call to come along.

 

God's mission has a to do list,

With items just for you.

Just do each one, let none be missed.

See that God's will, you will do.

 

If Abraham Was Justified

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/12/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Romans 4

 

If Abraham was justified,

By works that he had done,

He'd have something to boast about,

Before the holy one.

 

Since Abraham was justified,

What does the scripture say?

‘Twas before he was circumcised,

Paul saw the gentiles that way.

 

There Is a Remarkable Story

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/13/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) John 3

 

There is a remarkable story,

In the gospel of John,

Revealing to us christ's glory,

That we rely upon.

 

Nicodemus came to Jesus,

To ask him to explain.

Jesus said to Nicodemus,

You must be born again.

 

Because the world was so loved by God,

God sent to us Jesus.

And so, we believe what Jesus taught.

Jesus came to save us.

 

When There Was No Water

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/14/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57)

 

When there was no water to drink,

Out in the wilderness,

The Israelites’ faith began to sink,

So they complained to Moses.

 

Moses took it to God in prayer,

For guidance from the Lord.

It was at the rock of Horeb, where,

Their faith in God was restored.

 

Christ Asked, Who Do You Say I Am

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/14/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57)

 

Christ asked, “Who do you say I am?”

That is Christology.

Jesus had been “Rabbi” to them.

But he is much more, they would see.

 

He ushered in the realm of God,

The year of jubilee,

For the Jews, then the world abroad.

Yes, for all humanity.

 

On a Mission Trip to Belize

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/14/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57)

 

On a mission trip to Belize,

What difference can we make?

We ask you, God, to help us, please,

All for Jesus’ sake.

 

We come with many hopes and dreams,

And our heartfelt desires,

Just to do all we can it seems,

All that Jesus inspires.

 

We put ourselves into God's hands,

That we might do God's will.

Love our neighbors as Christ commands.

Lord, help us, this law fulfill.

 

When We Need a Demarcation

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/17/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57)

 

When we need a demarcation,

To help us understand,

Like the Barmen Declaration,

To help us take a stand.

 

The People in the Wilderness

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/18/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Exodus 17

 

The people in the wilderness,

Found no water there.

They came and quarreled with Moses.

They were filled with despair.

 

“Why did you bring us from Egypt?”

The people thus complained.

There was no water to be sipped.

Life could not be sustained.

 

So, Moses cried out to the Lord,

“For them, what shall I do?”

“Go and strike the rock at Horeb,”

And thus, God's word came true.

 

Christ Taught a Woman How to Live

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/18/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) John 4

 

Christ taught a woman how to live,

There at the village well.

Living water to her he'd give,

That she would live life well.

 

In the beginning was the Word,

God, and the Spirit, there.

Before the holy word was heard,

Water was everywhere.

 

Quadity

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/19/2026

(Tune: Nicaea UMH 64)

 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

You were there in perfect form in four-part harmony,

In the beginning and for all eternity,

God in four persons, blessed Quadity.

 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

Your spoken word revealed your creativity,

In the depth of darkness, your light helps us all see,

God in four persons, blessed Quadity.

 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

There your spirit hovered most mysteriously,

Waiting for the moment to breathe vitality,

God in four persons, blessed Quadity.

 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

In your living water shrouded in mystery,

Came forth your creation, all life that would e’er be,

God in four persons, blessed Quadity.

 

By Faith Alone We're Justified

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/20/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Romans 5

 

By faith alone we are justified.

Through Jesus we have peace.

Our peace with God is fortified,

To never ever cease.

 

Endurance leads to character.

Character builds up hope.

Hope does not put us to shame, for,

God's love helps us to cope.

 

Though we're sinners, Christ died for us,

Thus, we are justified,

Through the sacrifice of Jesus,

When upon the cross he died.

 

We Celebrate Our Family Tree

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/22/2026

(Tune: Auld Lang Syne) Ross Family Reunion

 

We celebrate our family tree,

How far it has branched out.

Yet we are still one family,

For that's what it's all about.

 

In Pennsylvania are our roots,

Some aren't far from the tree.

Some have branched out various shoots,

Beyond this locality.

 

Here on this day, we come back home,

As one big family.

No matter where, from here we roam,

This is where our home shall be.

 

There Was a Woman at the Well

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/23/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) John 4

 

There was a woman at the well,

Who spoke with Christ one day.

About her life, Jesus did tell,

Words of wisdom, he did say.

 

When Jesus asked her for a drink,

For he did seem thirsty,

He thought of things that made her think,

To go share with the city.

 

Jesus taught of living water,

To well up in one's soul.

He offered this new life to her,

And to us, to make us whole.

 

The Lord Does Not See as We See

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/24/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) 1 Samuel 16

 

The Lord does not see as we see,

God said to Samuel.

God, open our eyes so that we see,

What you want us to see well.

 

Reveal to us the mysteries,

That from the world are hid.

Reveal in the sacred stories,

All the glories that you did.

 

Throughout history all you did,

Was to love the world well.

May we who have comprehended,

Go and tell this good news well.

 

Truly, Truly I Say to You

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/24/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57)

 

“Truly, truly I say to you,

Unless you're born anew,

The realm of God you cannot see,”

Jesus said insightfully.

 

This was said to Nicodemus,

When he asked of Jesus,

Of things he was confused about,

Which he could not figure out.

 

What do you do when you're confused?

When all your brain you’ve used?

Take time in prayer. Talk with the Lord,

That God's insight be restored.

 

Where do you see God's glorious realm?

At times it overwhelms.

Our life in Christ makes all things new.

The world takes on a new view.

 

At One Time You Lived in Darkness

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/26/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Ephesians 5

 

At one time you lived in darkness.

In the Lord, you are light.

You walk as children of brightness,

Doing what's good, true, and right.

 

That's where the fruit of light is found.

That fruit is found in you.

You're standing now on holy ground,

Do all the good you can do.

 

Sleeper awake! Rise from the dead,

And Christ we'll shine on you.

Remember what our savior said,

“Behold I make all things new.”

 

Who Sinned

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/27/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) John 9

 

“Who sinned, this man or his parents?”

Thus the story begins.

A blind man, a lesson presents,

Forgiveness supersedes sins.

 

With spit and mud placed on his eyes,

Then washing in a pool,

They brought him to the Pharisees,

‘Cause Christ broke the Sabbath rule.

 

Blindness is not God's punishment,

An insight it might be.

Open your eyes in wonderment,

Of God's possibility.

 

Prophesy to All These Dry Bones

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/27/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Ezekiel 37

 

Prophesy to all these dry bones,

Hear the word of the Lord.

Listen, church! You who wails and bemoans,

True life comes from the Lord.

 

The Spirit’s breath will breathe within,

Hear the word of the Lord.

And yes, dry bones will live again.

Oh yes, thus says the Lord.

 

So, if the church will listen still,

To the word of the Lord,

And rises up to do God's will,

We'll give glory to the Lord.

 

We Are More

                                  Jeffrey B. Childs 2/28/2026

(Tune: Azmon UMH 57) Romans 6

 

We are more than just physical,

We are in the Spirit.

God in us is spiritual,

God calls us, and we're it.

 

The body's dead because of sin.

The Spirit is alive.

Through the Spirit God dwells within,

The Spirit makes us thrive.