Only Grace - Matthew West

Only Grace

Psalm 130
A song of ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.


This passage from the bible is titled "The accent" ~ The climb up . Life as a christian is not always an easy path. No one promised that following Christ would be an easy walk.
Yet we are given God on which to fix our eyes. When we stumble and when we fall his grace and his love helps us to stand back up and begin again.

I wasn't intending detailing the song that I have done today, but as I searched and searched for the one I wanted this song kept jumping up before me and so eventually I listened (yes I was listening at the service on "listening to God" yesterday!)How perfectly they fit with what I am wanting to share and so....

The words of Matthew Wests song Only Grace tell us this:

There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame
What happened yesterday…has disappeared

The dirt has washed away
And now it's clear
There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough

Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace
You're starting over now
Under the sun

You're stepping forward now
A new life has begunYour new life has begun
An’ there's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me…it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace…

And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, get back upGet back up again
Ohh…get…back…up…again…
There's only grace…
There's only love…
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough…

it’s enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only…there’s only…grace…

If I could turn back time ....

Well tonight I can because the clocks go back!!

Light of the World ~ Tim Hughes

Light of the world ~ Tim Hughes

Would you believe that before October is even through, I have planned the Christmas day service at church. I was reading a blog where a lady had recently found she was pregnant. She said "It won't change anything!" somehow I think she is in for a bit of a shock!
Anyway I began to think about how the tiny child born at christmas became light to a world shrouded in darkness. Tim Hughes' song Light of the world was one that immediately sprang to mind:
Light of the word
you stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore you
Hope of a life spent with you.

and then our response to this

So here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you're my God
Your all together lovely
Altogether worthy
altogether wonderful to me

then that poignant bridge:

And I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross,
No I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.

That's when the realisation dawns that this little baby laid in a manger is destined for the cross. it's all in Gods special plan so that i can say and you can say I am free, I am redeemed (bought back), I am saved because Gods son took my place on the cross.

For the month of December I am planning my own Advent calender on this and my other blog creative and faithful.

God of Justice ~ Tim Hughes

God of Justice ~ Tim Hughes

Last night we had the wonderful experience of formally welcoming and commissioning our schools and church youth worker Mark Tiddy.
It was wonderful to hear how the vision held by three churches over a very long period had come to fruition over many years until finally after metaphorical walls had been broken down at the senior school and chance meetings, opportunities andconversations had taken place, the Hunsley christian youth trust had come into being and the search for a youth worker had begun.
Mark fitted the criteria and was appointed.
The Bishop of Hull attended and comissioned mark andthe trust.
Our music group was swelled by the addition of some wonderful young instrumentalists and singers and the congregation from All Saints South Cave, Elloughton cum Brough Cof E, St Barnabus Swanland and The Baptist church at Pateborough (where Mark used to work) entered into the praise and worship.
Last Monday we'd learnt a new song which Mark had requested. "God of Justice" which he felt was a job description.

God of Justice,
Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must goStepping forward
keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God
You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord

Please pray for the Hunsley trust and for Mark that this wonderful opportunity will bear much fruit and that this job disription can be a real inspiration and model on which to build.