Praise to God

Although we are journeying on in our lives towards Advent, the Home Group that I joined a few years ago decided to study a book I wrote some time ago, although at that time it had a different cover.

This is a second edition. It's called A Lenten Journey: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians.

'A Lenten Journey' is a study of Ephesians. Actually the full title is 'A Lenten Journey: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians.'

A Lenten Journey is really a booklet, as it only has 76 pages. Conveniently, this letter of Paul's is divided into six chapters. This makes it useful for any study of six weeks length and is intended for small groups. Most of the Home Groups at my church meet every week, but as our group meets fortnightly, it will take twelve weeks to cover the book.

The six studies include questions for discussion, prayers, suggestions for meditation and other activities at home, including homework, part of which is reading the chapter to be studied the following meeting.

The first week's homework asks participants to write a short prayer of praise to God. Now, as I'm not leading these studies I'm trying to remain unobtrusive, but as a member of the group, I'm now on the other end and must do my homework!

I thought I'd like to write my 'prayer of praise' in poetry form, but now I've done that, I have problem. I tried it out in different ways and so wrote several and they're not really so brief, especially as we'll all be reading out our efforts in the next meeting. Now I can't decide which one to use.

Would you help me choose? There's a poll near the bottom.

Lord God, our Father in Heaven,

Son, and Holy Spirit;

Three Persons in One,

To us you have given

So much, yet our merit

Is naught, until we have sought

Forgiveness. Through your Son

We are made holy, and raise

Our hands in your praise.

Great and awesome God,

On this journey we've trod

In life's long length:

Praise with all our strength!

From the depth of our hearts,

With purity of mind,

Thanks for your love,

'Til the day that we find

Your glory, in eternity above.

Praise to you, Father, mighty Lord!

Praise to you, Christ, Saviour adored!

Praise to you, Spirit, here and above,

For your blessings and great love.

May we, your children, come to know

that through the Cross your blessings flow;

Give our thanks for sins forgiven,

All praise to you in earth and heaven!

This third poem can actually be sung to the tune that is used for the Doxology, 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow.' There are a couple of bumpy bits, but once we get used to it, it seems to work quite well.