Poets’ Corner – Here is Love

Introduced to this one at the conference – Tim Smith and the gang have done a version of it which can be found on Mars Hill’s Rain City Hymnal. The lyrics were originally written in Welsh by William Reese and William Williams:

Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten,
Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
Poured incessant from above,
And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.

Let me all Thy love accepting,
Love Thee, ever all my days;
Let me seek Thy kingdom only
And my life be to Thy praise;
Thou alone shalt be my glory,
Nothing in the world I see.
Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,
Thou Thyself hast set me free.

In Thy truth Thou dost direct me
By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;
And Thy grace my need is meeting,
As I trust in Thee, my Lord.
Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring
Thy great love and power on me,
Without measure, full and boundless,
Drawing out my heart to Thee.

Full Week Behind – Texted and Contexted

Resurgence was, in a word, great. There was a lot of great content, but I think I was affected more by the opportunity to see (and even meet) pastors and leaders of exemplary character up-close. I am particularly challenged by the head-long sort of passion that Piper and C. J. exude, especially in the pulpit. It convicts me of my tendency to replace passion with settling for mere truth talk. Even though I do not have the gifts that these men have, passion for God is something all of us should be striving for.

Desiring God already has Piper’s audio up, including his notes (note: these are not the transcripts; in other words, this is what he wanted to get to, but wasn’t able to):

• Why I Trust the Scriptures
• How My Pastoral Ministry Shapes My Pulpit Ministry
  
• How I Distinguish the Gospel and False Gospels

After the conference was over, we transitioned into the A29 Boot Camp for potential church planters. I helped assess two of the 20 or so applicants – both of whom were from Tempe. I love doing assessments; it fires me up to meet folks with a burden to plant, pastor and proclaim the gospel who also have very sweet and inspiring families. I wish you all could come along so you’d know what I was talking about. Anyway, it’s good to be home with my wonderful wife and kids, but I’ve got a lot still to process from this week.