Father,
I’m
supposed to preach tomorrow…about your power
The
power that comes when we tarry – seeking Your face
acknowledging our helplessness,
sinfulness
and utter inadequacy
Your
Word and works declare, even shout
this power, this spirit indwells me
but there’s something more… “it shall come upon you”
something from without, invading
within
Changing
forever the source and direction
of what drives me
And
tomorrow I stand before your precious people
Confidently
confessing for all to see
the reality, immanence and relevance
Of
your power…for us today – right now
come hell or high water
come addiction, depression and personal
failure
An
overcoming power
when my loved ones get sick and even die
when my children stray and fall
when the chaos of the moment
drains out any vision for the future
when my own flesh leads an open rebellion
against
the new creation that I’ve become in Christ
when I’m misunderstood, misrepresented
and even betrayed
That’s
right Lord, I’m gonna stand up there
under the mantle of man’s ordination
vast years of my pastoral training and
profession
with what sometimes seems like – very little
overcoming faith
but
loads of religious experience
and testify to the POWER, Your power,
the power of God
Divine
power, creative power, resurrecting power, healing power, saving power, delivering
power, transforming power, overcoming, devil-stomping, faith enhancing, limitless
power!
I’ll
wave my hands expressively and shout,
“It’s in
me! It’s in you! It’s in this church!
It’s real and
here right now, for any and every situation!”
Just
one hitch, Jesus, I don’t feel very powerful tonight
I have recollections of yesterday
and long ago
When
your power in me
imparted transformation and faith
Somewhere
in the journey…too often self-absorbed
I stretched out my hand,
touching a glory meant only for you
Proud,
careless, foolish, naïve, immature, undisciplined
all the above
My
need for validation exposed me
to the pressures and pulls of this
world
and Delilah cut my hair and Philistines
plucked my eyes
But
when I cried, “Lord, have mercy! Great is
Your faithfulness!”
Your
healing grace restored my sight, the joy of my salvation
and with that my strength
So
tomorrow I will without shame proclaim…
“Not by
might, not by power
but by my Spirit, says the Lord”
And
if you don’t do something, Father
in my life, in our church, in our
land
We
don’t have the power…to get it done
Lord,
light the fire again
start tonight, ignite in me afresh
then through your presence
and your power
Release
in your people the passion of Pentecost
Make
it so, dear God – for Jesus sake. Amen!
02/14/98,
Revised, 1/31/17 - Mark D. Cooke
