Daily Worship

One trump we cannot ignore

Peter Neilson March 01, 2017 0 0

Joel 2:1-2

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

 

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    sound the alarm on my holy hill.

Let all who live in the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming.
It is close at hand –
2     a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and blackness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
    a large and mighty army comes,
such as never was in ancient times
    nor ever will be in ages to come.

 

12 ‘Even now,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘return to me with all your heart,
    with fasting and weeping and mourning.’

13 Rend your heart
    and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
    and he relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent
    and leave behind a blessing –
grain offerings and drink offerings
    for the Lord your God.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
    declare a holy fast,
    call a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people,
    consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
    gather the children,
    those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
    and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,
    weep between the portico and the altar.
Let them say, ‘Spare your people, Lord.
    Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
    a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘‘Where is their God?”’

Lord, this is one trump we cannot ignore!

 

The locusts of greed and violence

Have devastated homes 

and displaced millions.

 

Lord, let your trumpet sound

To call us back to You.

 

The West fears its loss of power

And grasps at nostalgic greatness.

 

Lord, let your trumpet sound,

To call us back to You.

 

Africa is crippled by divisions

of tribalism, colour, poverty and disease.

 

Lord, let your trumpet sound

To call us back to You.

 

Your church falters in faith,

struggles to hope 

and fears to love.

 

Lord, let your trumpet sound

To call us back to You.

 

Call us from the dustbowl 

of our self-destruction,

to drink at the oasis of Your

compassion and justice.

 

Lord, this is one trump we will not ignore! Amen