Daily Worship

We will dine with the Lord

Jo Penn May 24, 2025 3 1
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Revelation 21: 1-6 (NIVUK)

21 Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

5 He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’

6 He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 

We thirsted, Lord, when kicked out of Eden,
Angels’ shining swords barred up the door.
There was no way back now to those intimate walks,
In the evening light, in the cool of the day.

We thirsted, Lord, when jealousy arose,
When murder happened, and the truth dawned
That our hearts were now free to punch towards others
Our anger and hate now loosed on the world.

We thirsted, Lord, when a new call was given,
Abram’s family chosen to walk out with you.
Though age gave experience, they left all behind,
Headed to the unknown and followed your word.

We thirsted, Lord, when a new child was given,
A child of the promise, impossibly born.
This Isaac showed that ‘God’s will’ will be done,
The ‘rules’ of life broken to give them this son.  

We thirsted, Lord, when an occupied land
Was gifted a child, Prince of Peace come to earth.
Though Mary was young, and this was Your Son,
You entrusted to Joseph his care in this world.

Jesus’ friends felt the thirst when he hosted a table,
They’d seen him fêted and cheered in the streets.
The Passover meal given more layers of meaning:
The wine and the bread to remember his life.

You thirsted, Jesus, when you hung on the cross,
When the crowd watched you there, a scapegoat for us.
You thirsted for us, and you drank of our sorrow,
Bearing our pain, all the sin we had done.

On the beach in the morning Jesus thirsted for friends
To come in, share a meal, and sit down with him,
A new life to show them, a new purpose given,
Death is defeated and Life has come in.

You thirst for us still, Lord, to come back to You,
Sit down at your table, share the special meal
That links us with heaven, those saints gone before,
Who thirsted for God, who pray with us now.

When earth is renewed by this Jesus our King,
Heaven’s joy will be shown in the songs that we sing 
Tears will be gone, and thirst will be quenched,
At the King’s banquet table we will dine with the Lord.

Prayer:

Jesus, quench our thirst today.