On Friday mornings in Lent we at SCPC offer a service of contemplative prayer and Lectio Divina from 7-8 AM in our Stephen's Chapel. It is meant to be a nice quiet, but "social" place for prayer as the Puritans would say. I am SO using this on Friday. As someone with a great love for the Puritans (I received a minor in historical theology writing on the Puritans when I got my Ph.D.) I was thrilled to come across this poem at the "Rebecca Writes" blog . Rebecca uses the Puritans in a number of posts, so now I will be linking to her site from my. Thanks for reminding me, Rebecca. Go by and say thanks to her for giving us such good stuff, ok?
On Opening a Place for Social Prayer
Jesus, where'er thy people meet,
There they behold thy mercy-seat;
Where'er they seek thee thou art found,
And ev'ry place is hallow'd ground.
For thou, within no walls confin'd,
Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring thee, where they come,
And going, take thee to their home.
Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few!
Thy former mercies here renew;
Here, to our waiting hearts, proclaim
The sweetness of thy saving name.
Here may we prove the pow'r of pray'r,
To strengthen faith, and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heav'n before our eyes.
Behold! At thy commanding word,
We stretch the curtain and the cord;
Come thou, and fill this wider space,
And help us with a large increase.
Lord, we are few, but thou art near;
Nor short thine arm, nor deaf thine ear;
Oh rend the heav'ns, come quickly down,
And make a thousand hearts thine own!
---William Cowper.
