If I never become famous,
I will have written from my heart.
If I never become famous,
I will have spoken Truth and Grace.
If I never become famous,
Broken lives will have been exposed to His messiness and love.
If I never become famous,
We will still have become friends.
If I never become famous,
I will still be held in His hands.
Hush Little Baby,
Don’t say a word.
The Angel told me,
That You are the Lord.
Hush Little Baby,
Don’t say a word.
The next thirty-three
Will be a heavy load.
Hush Little Baby,
Don’t say a word.
You’ll bring salvation,
To the entire world.
ATTIC,
Steve
Father, hear me now when I am humbled
I fear that I will soon forget
Now I have no strength to stand and stumble
I have no wish to leave you—yetO Holy Father, hear me now
When flesh is strong and spirit weak
Please break my back if I won’t bow
Won’t you have your way with meFather, hear me now when I am humbled
When I am bent with holy shame
All the lies that I believed have crumbled
The blood of Christ my only claimI cannot trust my own designs
My heart is prone to disobey
So listen, Lord, while there is time
Chain me fast if I won’t stay
Take my life and have your wayPlease hear me, Lord, this blessed hour
When sin has loosed its hold on me
Thy mercy is a mighty tower
So why should I not trust in thee?
Father, have your way with me
Words and music by Andrew Peterson
We are God’s people, the chosen of the Lord,
Born of His Spirit, established by His Word;
Our cornerstone is Christ alone,
And strong in Him we stand:
O let us live transparently
And walk heart to heart and hand in hand.
We are God’s loved ones, the Bride of Christ our Lord,
For we have known it, the love of God outpoured;
Now let us learn how to return
The gift of love once given:
O let us share each joy and care,
And live with a zeal that pleases Heaven.
We are the Body of which the Lord is Head,
Called to obey Him, now risen from the dead;
He wills us be a family,
Diverse yet truly one:
O let us give our gifts to God,
And so shall his work on earth be done.
We are a temple, the Spirit’s dwelling place,
Formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God’s grace;
We die alone, for on its own
Each ember loses fire:
Yet joined in one the flame burns on
To give warmth and light, and to inspire.
Facts:
Lyricist: Bryan Jeffery Leech
Lyrics Date: 1976
Arranger: Fred Bock
Arrangement Date: 1976
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Music Date: 1876
Scripture: Psalm 100:3
“But we make His love too narrow,
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify His strictness,
With a zeal He will not own.
For the love of God is broader,
Than the measure of one’s mind;
And the heart of the Eternal,
Is most wonderfully kind.”
…from “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” by Frederick W. Faber (1814-1863)
Our minister of music introduced this song to our church Sunday night and honored me by publicly saying it reminded him of me. It’s a song from 150-200 years ago that beautifully paints a portrait of the never-ending love of God. A love that is not limited by human standards, nor is it intimidated by human failure.
It’s a portrait of the love, mercy, and often-times Messy Grace of God that has NEVER changed and will never fail.
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy and a Wildness in His Grace.
ATTIC,
Steve
Ps. 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west…he removed our transgressions…”
Here’s how the contest works:
Here’s the fine print (please read in your best hurried announcer voice):
The timeline to submit is between now (12:05am Wednesday 5/2/12) and 11:59pm Tuesday 5/8/12 (that’s tonight).
Submit your story here (just hit “reply” and leave a comment) or email the story to messygrace@me.com
One winner will receive a brand-new copy of “Love Does” plus a second copy of the book to give as a gift to the person you wrote about.
Winner will be notified by email on Friday, May 11, 2012. Winner will also be announced here at http://messygrace.com.
Stories submitted may be posted as a blog entry on this website in the future.
Deadline for submission is 11:59pm Tuesday 5/8/12 (that’s tonight).
