General (Vol. 1)

Article Sections

Contents

  1. The Drama of Life
  2. River of Baptising Water
  3. Faith, Hope and Love
  4. God's Earth
  5. Nicodemus
  6. Wedding
  7. Relationships
  8. Mothers
  9. Forgiveness
  10. Testaments
  11. The Bethanies
  12. Retrenchment
  13. Donkeys
  14. Learning
  15. Catastrophe
  16. Mercy
  17. Shepherd
  18. The Trinity and its Virtues
  19. Lamb and Shepherd
  20. Peter's Burden
  21. Grandmother
  22. Confirmation
  23. The Way, The Truth and The Life
  24. Puzzles
  25. Comfort
  26. Bethlehem's Legacy
  27. The Church on Earth
  28. Mary's Pentecost
  29. Prayer
  30. Always
  31. Power
  32. Trinity
  33. Responsibility
  34. Strength
  35. Everyone Can Call Upon Jesus
  36. Unity
  37. Jesu of the Desert
  38. Judgment
  39. Sacrifice
  40. Pressure
  41. God in Us
  42. Vocation
  43. Commitment
  44. Jesus of All the Ages
  45. The Spiral
  46. Commendations
  47. Retreat
  48. Lamb, Child, Servant, Shepherd, Priest
  49. The Path
  50. For Victims of Human Failure

Commendations

Part i.

  1. Lord, we commend Thy servants to Thy care,
    Though they may not have served Thee as they should
    For, being wayward, they have left themselves
    Numb to Thy comfort and Thy power for good.

  2. Now as life ebbs in bitterness or pain
    And hurt or habit keeps them far from Thee,
    Shower love and comfort inverse to their prayers,
    Our love the hostage for their infamy.

  3. And, if it please Thee, moderate their pain,
    That they and we might better live with dying,
    And in compassion for those who depart,
    Do not forget those who remain here crying.

  4. For all these pleas we have Thy Son's clear pledge
    But crown them in Thy kingdom yet unknown,
    Finding enough love in Thy servants' lives
    To welcome them in bliss truly thine own.

Part ii.

  1. Our King on high,
    Lord of the earthly fragment of our lives,
    Who set in train
    The rules by which life ceases or survives,
    Look down in love
    On those who suffer doubly in distress:
    In human pain
    But seeking nothing in divine redress.

  2. In You we trust
    That You have set a balance in all things
    Between our strength
    And what we face in loss and suffering,
    That You are kinder
    To those who testify against Your Grace
    And transfer pain
    to those who know and love You in their place.

  3. Weak as we are
    We bear our burden in Your cooling breeze,
    The Spirit's balm
    Compounding earthly trials with heavenly ease;
    And so in faith
    We should be pleased to bear a heavier weight,
    Knowing our end
    Is subject to Your love and not blind fate.

  4. We know Your love
    Cannot be traded for a book of prayers
    Nor grief curtailed
    By merchandise of pleading and of tears;
    And so we pray
    In unconditional awe of the august,
    Content that You
    Will govern all with love beyond the just.