A Blessed Assurance - Pentecost 2024

From His throne our Saviour hears us,
"Jesus, come and fill me now!"
He smiles with plans to lift and cheer us,
We don't doubt "if," but wait for "how";

Through messages from His dear servants,
Heavenly songs to soothe our souls,
Hearts knit as one in sweet communion,
Sparks ignite the waiting coals;

Plunged beneath the watery grave,
Our sisters raised to newfound life;
Praising God for His great mercy
Through pasts of trauma, pain and strife;

Our hearts enraptured in praises for
How Father has lead us each along,
And brought us to this precious place 
Where in our weakness He'll prove strong;

The blessed day of Pentecost,
Where time is set aside for prayer;
Praises mixed with deep heart burdens
Fill the hot and humid air;

Every heart now beats together,
Hoping salvation for hurting souls;
For spiritual, mental, and physical healing,
Warmth brought to hearts now growing cold;

Confession of sins and corporate failings,
Pleas of deliverance from great strongholds;
Nothing but love fills our hearts for our brethren,
All of those scattered in Christ's precious fold;

An hour now past, it's time to pray,
Forms bow beneath pavilion tall;
One by one prayers raised to heaven,
As on His mighty name we call;

Another hour past, and then one more,
As eternity's freedom makes chronos flee;
Open hands and glistening brows,
And suddenly, a soft and gentle breeze...

As elder Christian calls down blessings,
The wind starts picking up its pace;
As pastor's concluding thoughts ascend,
Strong gusts are felt on every face;

Eyes open to see the tablecloths whipping,
Smiles and wonder all around;
A verse of "Be Thou My Vision," is called for,
And voices all lift with a heavenly sound;

"Be Thou my vision, Oh Lord of my heart,
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art!
Thou my great Father and I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one!"

As the final note sounds, the first "tink" is heard,
Upon metal rooftop, a second, then third;
The sky opens up and a great rain pours down,
Torrents around us—a deafening sound;

Shouts of elation as nature declares,
A Saviour so near us, a Father who cares; 
A blessed assurance of His latter rain,
That we His dear children aren't seeking in vain;

The showers of blessing—His loving embrace,
Our minds all imagine the smile on His face; 
We notice a precious friend just arrived,
One for whom in our prayers in the Spirit we'd strived! 

Oh what love is this?! Our hearts now are strengthened,
To face whatever trials lie ahead;
To go forth as His hands and feet in this world,
And believe every word He has said; 

As the evening draws on we don't want to let go,
Of this foretaste of heaven we've had;
We wish friends could linger, we wish time would slow,
Though our hearts He has surely made glad; 

Empowered to return now to each of our homes,
Knowing in Him we can conquer,
The vilest temptations from our wiley foe,
Because He who's within us is stronger;

Farewells bittersweet as a new page begins,
But this isn't the end of our story;
As our Father of love imparts to us
His Son—the hope of glory!