Tsunami - earthquake hymn: Tectonic plates beneath the ocean's surface

Tectonic plates beneath the ocean's surface,

uplifted, twisting life and limb and wave.

The landscape that was home has lost its features,

destruction means that few are left to save.

An empty chair amid such devastation

where cars like toys, are lifted, spun about;

and here we wait and pray in helpless anguish;

and 'where is God' we want to cry and shout.

Incarnate God we need your present spirit

to live within your people at this time,

to energise our prayerful words and actions,

to offer grace to life's discordant rhyme.

God offer hope to those who feel forsaken,

to those whose lives have spun and turned around;

to those whose grief defies all consolation,

bring grace and love and hope and solid ground.

© Andrew Pratt 13/3/2011

andrewpratt@btconnect.com

Tune: INTERCESSOR

HYMNS POSTED ON THIS BLOG MAY BE USED FREELY LOCALLY WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. TO PUBLISH FOR PROFIT PLEASE CONTACT THE AUTHOR. For more hymns go to Hymns page For Books by Andrew Pratt follow LINKS on the Links page. Books are available on the following sites: Amazon, Stainer & Bell Ltd, Twelvebaskets, SCM-Canterbury Press - SCM Studyguide Practical Skills for Ministry now available - follow this link - http://www.scm-canterburypress.co.uk/bookdetails.asp?ISBN=9780334043591 Andrew Pratt lectures at Luther King House, The Partnership for Theological Education, Manchester as a Methodist Tutor at Hartley Victoria College

Tsunami hymn - we understand tectonic plates

This and other hymns and worship resources for times of crisis can be found at http://www.gbod.org/Worship/default.asp?loc_id=739,1112&act=nav_loc.

We understand tectonic plates
That move beneath our feet
We understand that powerful waves
Make rivers in the street
But when we try to centre God
Our sense is incomplete

To say creation points to God
Will never make real sense
Except within a frame of faith
Outside it brings offense
Our claim is more than paradox
Within this present tense

And so we struggle with the fact
That contradict belief
Until we find a greater truth
We never find relief
Reason and revelation clash
And die in disbelief

We honor God for all that is
And all that is to be
We may not understand God's ways
Until eternity
But love is stronger than belief
And faith can help us see.
Andrew Pratt; Copyright Stainer & Bell Ltd to whom application for use must be made - carol@stainer.co.uk
(Set to the tune MORNING SONG)

HYMNS POSTED ON THIS BLOG MAY BE USED FREELY LOCALLY WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. TO PUBLISH FOR PROFIT PLEASE CONTACT THE AUTHOR. For more hymns go to Hymns page For Books by Andrew Pratt follow LINKS on the Links page. Books are available on the following sites: Amazon, Stainer & Bell Ltd, Twelvebaskets, SCM-Canterbury Press Latest SCM Studyguide Practical Skills for Ministry now available - follow this link - http://www.scm-canterburypress.co.uk/bookdetails.asp?ISBN=9780334043591 Andrew Pratt lectures at Luther King House, The Partnership for Theological Education, Manchester as a Methodist Tutor at Hartley Victoria College