gather us in

I heard this hymn for the first time today: Gather Us In.

Gather Us In 
Here in this place, new light is streaming
now is the darkness vanished away,
see, in this space, our fears and our dreamings,
brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in the lost and forsaken
gather us in the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken
we shall arise at the sound of our name.

We are the young – our lives are a mystery
we are the old – who yearns for your face.
we have been sung throughout all of history
called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in the rich and the haughty
gather us in the proud and the strong
give us a heart so meek and so lowly
give us the courage to enter the song.

Here we will take the wine and the water
here we will take the bread of new birth
here you shall call your sons and your daughters
call us anew to be salt of the earth.

Give us to drink the wine of compassion
give us to eat the bread that is you
nourish us well and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy and hearts that are true.

Gather Us In

Love this song.

The last hymn we sang this morning was one that just made me smile (we sang it as children). They'll Know We Are Christians. As I was leaving I was humming the song and then I noticed that the guy who was following me was whistling that song. Which made me smile even more. There is an apartment building right beside the church. As I was walking up to church I saw a man on his balcony. I imagine that same man being there as we left the church. He got to see Christians walking out smiling, humming and whistling . . .

They will know we are Christians by our love by our love they will know we are Christians by our love. 

Gotta remember this! (The next time I was getting angry in my car or frustrated at work or my kids.)

ALSO, the best thing was the sermon mentioning that anytime two or three meet - Jesus is there. Remember this means that just about everywhere - Jesus is.

Next time there are angry words - remember Jesus is there. It might help tone down the words.

Today's scripture was Matthew 18:15-20

15 "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Rev. Megan Ammann brought out an excellent point when she said concerning verse 17 to remember how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors . . . with love and He never gave up on them.