Oh, when the storms are all too real

Oh, when the storms are all too real,
With winds or waters rising,
Our lives are lost or broken down,
By nature turned despising;
Our souls cry out in hard despair
With confidence sore shaken.
But where is hope when all is lost,
Or can hope yet awaken?

We do not serve a God aloof,
All cold and hard, unfeeling,
Nor are we cut off and adrift
Although our hearts are reeling.
The Holy Spirit swift and sure
Goes forth when creatures suffer,
And forges from God’s steadfast love
A constant shield and buffer.

That Spirit also calls us out
When nature’s might brings trouble
For neighbors near or neighbors far,
To hope amidst the rubble;
To build and fix and raise anew,
God’s care and mercy showing,
So from despair and hopeless
Come life and hope new-growing.



TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, 2019
MUSIC: Suggested tune HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING, Robert Lowry, 1869

My frequent role as Weather Channel geek and general weather-worrier cropped up again this week after strong tornadoes hit the Dallas area. Of course, in Florida there's always a hurricane to remember, whether it hit the state proper (Irma, Michael) or neighboring island areas (Maria, Dorian). I never want to dismiss the destructive powers of nature, even while seeking a theology of creation more characterized by living within it rather than dominating it, so facing such disasters is mandatory. In the meantime, such disasters may need to be addressed in worship.