They Met to Read the Bible-Hymn By Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

My words are insufficient to the suffering that has occurred. My words cannot convey the aching in my chest. My words are nothing but words in the midst of all this pain. Who are we as the church if our people are not safe? Who are we as the church if welcome is not in our space? Who are we as the church if the sacred is not upon our hearts? Help us to hold on to the One who knows our fears and our tears, who knows how to lead us from here. But, God has gifted one who wrote the hymn for us to sing. A hymn to draw us together and to remind us of whose we are. Let us raise our voices in faith (even if we say we have no faith-sing with us anyway) Hear these words, sing this song and together we will offer the world God's peace.

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette composed this hymn early this morning. It came with permission to share on social media and Facebook. They Met to Read the Bible
ST. CHRISTOPHER 7.6.8.6.8.6.8.6 ("Beneath the Cross of Jesus")

They met to read the Bible,
they gathered for a prayer,
They worshiped God and shared with friends
and welcomed strangers there.
They went to church to speak of love,
To celebrate God’s grace.
O Lord, we tremble when we hear
What happened in that place.

O God of love and justice,
we thank you for the nine.
They served in their communities
and made the world more kind.
They preached and sang and coached and taught,
And cared for children, too.
They blessed your church and blessed your world
With gifts they used for you.

We grieve a wounded culture
Where fear and terror thrive,
Where some hate others for their race
And guns are glorified.
We grieve for sons and daughters lost,
For grandmas who are gone.
O God, we cry with broken hearts:
This can’t continue on!

God, may we keep on sowing
The seeds of justice here,
Till guns are silent, people sing,
And hope replaces fear.
May seeds of understanding grow
And flourish all our days.
May justice, love and mercy be
The banner that we raise.

Tune: Frederick Charles Maker, 1881
Text: Copyright © 2015 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Email: bcgillette@comcast.net New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com
Permission is given for free use by local churches and in ecumenical services