12 Mar 2020
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There're challenges that surrounds us on a daily basis, terror in the middle-east, starvation in Africa, despots who would not give up power, now we are facing a new monster, “coronavirus“. Someone asked me recently are these the last-days and I pointedly said no. There is no-such-thing as the last days. 2000-years hence and beyond the world will still be talking about their own crisis. Today I look back at the words of a Methodist minister written 2 centuries ago, Isaac Watts. He invites us in spirited song, listen to his words and take refrain, “Come ye that love the Lord. We can no more change the world than we can undo what is happening around us as it seems our prayers is not enough, but we trod on in this Lenten-season and prepare for SYNOD-2020. We invite you to follow Watts lead in this hymn of guidance; here in text...
Come ye that love the Lord,
And let your joys be known
Join in a song with sweet accord
And thus surround the throne
Chorus
We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion
We’re marching upward to Zion,
That beautiful city of God
Let those refuse to sing,
who never knew their God
But children of the heavenly-king
Shall speak their joys abroad
The hills of Zion-yield,
A thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden streams
Then let our songs-abound,
and every tear be dry
We are marching through Immanuel’s ground
To fairer worlds on high
Do your best. For within all its dangers the world is still a beautiful place and we remain its residents; take a peek and come with me and Watts, you cannot ignore the world but we can MARCH-ON “ to Zion, That beautiful city of God.
Ever faithful,
Hartley Presiding/Bishop/ACW
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