Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Our World Belongs to God

1. As followers of Jesus Christ,
living in this world—
which some seek to control,
but which others view with despair—
we declare with joy and trust:
Our world belongs to God!

4. Our world has fallen into sin;
but rebellion and sin can never dethrone God.
He does not abandon the work of his hand;
the heavens still declare his glory.
He preserves his world,
sending seasons, sun, and rain,
upholding his creatures,
renewing the earth,
directing all things to their purpose.
He promised a Savior;
now the whole creation groans
in the birth pangs of a new creation.

5. God holds this world
in sovereign love.
He kept his promise,
sending Jesus into the world.
He poured out his Spirit
and broadcast the news
that sinners who repent and believe in Jesus
can live
and breathe
and move again
as members of the family of God.

6. We rejoice in the goodness of God,
renounce the works of darkness,
and dedicate ourselves to holy living.
As covenant partners,
called to faithful obedience,
and set free for joyful praise,
we offer our hearts and lives
to do God's work in his world.
With tempered impatience, eager to see injustice ended,
we expect the Day of the Lord.
And we are confident
that the light which shines in the present darkness
will fill the earth when Christ appears.

Come, Lord Jesus!
Our world belongs to you.

-Our World Belongs to God (a contemporary testimony of the CRC)

3 comments:

Beth said...

I like "with tempered impatience".

Jessielynn said...

And I like all of it. Where might I find the rest? (The missing numbers pique the curiosity in this math teacher).

Beth said...

It's actually quite long...these are just some excerpts from the preamble. And I like it too - it's one of my favorite things about the CRC. Here's a link to an online version: Our World Belongs to God. If you google, you can also find it in pdf.