Pastor Travis Cook, filling the pulpit in my absence, shared the story of Rosaria Champagne Butterfield and the story of her conversion from a radical lesbian to a redeemed Christian. If you would like to read more, check out this blog post:
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
To See God's Glory
Here is Pastor Carey's 2012 Advent poem, read at RBBC's Quiet Christmas Eve Service.
To See God's Glory
What a wonder is the coming of the Word, sent forth from God
when He said the time was right;
With life and light in Him to overcome the dark of sin and
show God's glory in plain sight.
Oh, what a wonder this is, because it wasn't always so—
God's glory for men plain to see;
Glimpses had come, yes, and yearnings for more, until that day--
"Hail the Incarnate Deity!"
When Israel grumbled about being stuck, hungry in the desert—
"In Egypt we had bread at least!"
The LORD said, in grace, to Moses, "Look, I'm going to rain manna
that you can gather for daily feasts."
He did this to test the people, to see if they'd trust and obey
Him by following the rules He set;
And not only bread but daily meat God promised too,
though their gripes were against Him, He said.
Then Aaron told the people, "Come near before the LORD now
because your grumbling He hears."
When he spoke the congregation looked, and behold the glory
of the LORD in a cloud appeared.
Later, God called Moses to Sinai to receive His law,
to the cloud-shrouded mountain top;
To the people below the look of God's glory on the peak
Was like fire that burned white-hot.
Descending the mount with God-engraved tablets in hand, Moses
found Israel dancing round a god of gold;
Punishing them with a plague, the Lord did not erase the nation--
to Moses, "Go to the land as I've told."
"Take the people to the promised place, but I won't go among them,
lest I kill them for their stiff-necked ways."
When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned
while Moses went to the Lord to say—
"Show me now your ways, that I may find favor in your sight and
Consider, we're yours, and please stay near."
"My presence will go with you and I will give you rest," God assured.
"If not, do not send us up from here."
"For is it not in your going with us that we are distinct
from other peoples on the earth's face?"
The Lord said, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do,
For your name I know by my grace."
In a cloud, and in fire, God's glory had appeared and now
Moses boldly asked Him for more:
"Please show me your glory!" "My goodness will pass before you,
And my name I'll proclaim, 'The LORD!'"
"I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious, and have mercy
On whom I will have mercy.
But you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."
Goodness seen by grace-- life spared in mercy.
And God said, "By me there's a rock where you'll stand, and I'll put you
in a cleft of that rock and cover you
until I have passed by. Then, you uncovered will see my back,
but my face you cannot view.
In a cloud, in fire, from a rocky cleft, God's glory had been seen.
Then in the fullness of time
God came down, Christ the Lord— became as nothing, a man, a bond-slave!
Born a babe, fullness of God--sublime!
To a created virgin, the Creator was born the God-man,
to justify us by His blood shed,
and to rescue rebels from sin, death and His Father's wrath—
propitiation laid in a hay bed.
Born heaven's Sun, the life and light of men shining in darkness-
Whom the darkness cannot defeat-
to be the Light of the world and His people's Good Shepherd
and lay down His life for His sheep.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, God's glory to show,
His Son full of truth and grace.
No wonder, then, heaven's multitude exulted, "Glory to God!"
And shepherds found Jesus in haste.
God's mercy shielded Moses from the overwhelming glory
He would see in the Lord's face,
But now shepherds, looking at a baby, see the Lord:
Glory, Goodness, Mercy, Grace.
What a wonder! The Glory of the Lord--so intense
That Moses huddled in a stone--
Now huddles in a manger, so that to the whole world
God's boundless love is made known.
What a wonder this is: That God so loved the world that He gave
His Son, His only Begotten,
that whosoever receives and believes in Him should not
perish but have eternal life.
Have you seen the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ?
O God, shine in each heart, give the light
of the knowledge of our glorious God in the face of Jesus Christ!
Open our eyes to this glorious sight!
To See God's Glory
What a wonder is the coming of the Word, sent forth from God
when He said the time was right;
With life and light in Him to overcome the dark of sin and
show God's glory in plain sight.
Oh, what a wonder this is, because it wasn't always so—
God's glory for men plain to see;
Glimpses had come, yes, and yearnings for more, until that day--
"Hail the Incarnate Deity!"
When Israel grumbled about being stuck, hungry in the desert—
"In Egypt we had bread at least!"
The LORD said, in grace, to Moses, "Look, I'm going to rain manna
that you can gather for daily feasts."
He did this to test the people, to see if they'd trust and obey
Him by following the rules He set;
And not only bread but daily meat God promised too,
though their gripes were against Him, He said.
Then Aaron told the people, "Come near before the LORD now
because your grumbling He hears."
When he spoke the congregation looked, and behold the glory
of the LORD in a cloud appeared.
Later, God called Moses to Sinai to receive His law,
to the cloud-shrouded mountain top;
To the people below the look of God's glory on the peak
Was like fire that burned white-hot.
Descending the mount with God-engraved tablets in hand, Moses
found Israel dancing round a god of gold;
Punishing them with a plague, the Lord did not erase the nation--
to Moses, "Go to the land as I've told."
"Take the people to the promised place, but I won't go among them,
lest I kill them for their stiff-necked ways."
When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned
while Moses went to the Lord to say—
"Show me now your ways, that I may find favor in your sight and
Consider, we're yours, and please stay near."
"My presence will go with you and I will give you rest," God assured.
"If not, do not send us up from here."
"For is it not in your going with us that we are distinct
from other peoples on the earth's face?"
The Lord said, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do,
For your name I know by my grace."
In a cloud, and in fire, God's glory had appeared and now
Moses boldly asked Him for more:
"Please show me your glory!" "My goodness will pass before you,
And my name I'll proclaim, 'The LORD!'"
"I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious, and have mercy
On whom I will have mercy.
But you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."
Goodness seen by grace-- life spared in mercy.
And God said, "By me there's a rock where you'll stand, and I'll put you
in a cleft of that rock and cover you
until I have passed by. Then, you uncovered will see my back,
but my face you cannot view.
In a cloud, in fire, from a rocky cleft, God's glory had been seen.
Then in the fullness of time
God came down, Christ the Lord— became as nothing, a man, a bond-slave!
Born a babe, fullness of God--sublime!
To a created virgin, the Creator was born the God-man,
to justify us by His blood shed,
and to rescue rebels from sin, death and His Father's wrath—
propitiation laid in a hay bed.
Born heaven's Sun, the life and light of men shining in darkness-
Whom the darkness cannot defeat-
to be the Light of the world and His people's Good Shepherd
and lay down His life for His sheep.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, God's glory to show,
His Son full of truth and grace.
No wonder, then, heaven's multitude exulted, "Glory to God!"
And shepherds found Jesus in haste.
God's mercy shielded Moses from the overwhelming glory
He would see in the Lord's face,
But now shepherds, looking at a baby, see the Lord:
Glory, Goodness, Mercy, Grace.
What a wonder! The Glory of the Lord--so intense
That Moses huddled in a stone--
Now huddles in a manger, so that to the whole world
God's boundless love is made known.
What a wonder this is: That God so loved the world that He gave
His Son, His only Begotten,
that whosoever receives and believes in Him should not
perish but have eternal life.
Have you seen the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ?
O God, shine in each heart, give the light
of the knowledge of our glorious God in the face of Jesus Christ!
Open our eyes to this glorious sight!
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