write some raps!

One thing that can be such a come-down after something like Festival is going back to your own church the following week and feeling like God has been left behind in a tent somewhere and that the worship/prayer/teaching you experienced was all just a dream. I know I certainly had that feeling yesterday sat in a methodist church that had the feel of an old people's home as we HUMMED (yes, i said hummed) happy birthday (because we didn't want to get too over excited).

So what do we do? Well, we could all just leave the church and just hop from one Christian festival to the other, living permanently in tents and never really getting clean. However, I'm not sure that's a good long-term answer! Camp food for a week is ok, but a lifetime? No thanks.

One thing we can do is get involved. Try to change things. Craig our rapper has written up his raps and said we can put them on the blog for anyone to use. Even better they might inspire some of you to write your own (put them in the comments so we can have a look!). You don't even need to rap them, you could just read them in church. So get writing and get asking your minister/youthworker/anyone if you can read them and get involved in making your worship at your home church what you want it to be.

I look to return to the places i've previously been
things i've infrequently seen
revelations of a heart that manifests the father's love
I've stood in this place in a life that now seems left behind
a time in which i loved my Lord - strength, soul, heart, mind
But somehow in the year that's passed I've seen that passion dwindle
swindled from my birthright, Lord would you rekindle
that flame would you reign deep inside of me
would your love shine from my eyes sharing heaven's glory silently
I struggle to reconcile your grace
when i'm presented with the hurt that's caused when i think of that face
yet in this place
in the face of a years apparent waste
i remember
the tender words that render worse that I could live a life of freedom as if it was cursed
I am the worst of sinners
an absolute begginer
only able to stand through the mercy of your hands
pierced for my transgressions
so that i could learn lifes only worthwhile lesson
that while all earthly things fade and and all worldy wisdom ends
I could have no greater love than this
To lay down my life for my friend.

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Uncomortably I stand
Mic in hand
hoping to enter the presence of the almighty
though this might be the hundreth time
somehow like the bread and the wine
it cant fail to excite me
But ever so slightly - I feel unsightly
Still failing to grasp that i need only to seek, knock and ask
so i speak to God of the past
the present the future
put into sharp focus by the words Jesus spoke
so that no man can convolute the
message
His breath is near.
Carressing every ear that is open to hear the blessings
And yet I stand here confessing
I still dont fully understand why I have a hand in it all
So now to the call.
Open your hearts.
Set this moment apart.
May this be a time that our Lord can treasure
A time we can look to and say "that was the beggining of forever"
as shoulder to shoulder we stand in the community of the redeemed
the only thing we really have in common is the unity of Jesus holding us in such high esteem
But that will always be enough.
so that through tearful eyes we can bring
the greatest words that a child can ever sing
But i trust.