poems 1996

1. City of Peace
2. A Steward
3. Design & Decision (ok, this one breaks the 30-second rule!)
4. Creative Denial
5. Poor Vision--Perfect Trust!
6. Mold Me, Lord!
7. You Are Worthy!
8. Keep Me
9. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem
10. Return, Emmanuel!

A Steward

As I walk through this life, I have questions, Lord
What is it You require of me?
I have such a short time--I would use it well
Lord, please open my eyes to see.

You are Lord of my life, Lord of all that I own!
All I have is a gift from your hand!
I do not quite fit in or belong to this world
Help me, Lord, that I might understand.

I'm a steward, Lord-- I don't own a thing!
There is nothing that is mine.
My possessions, my life, any talents I have
Help me use them as You would design.
(They are borrowed for use in this time)

Lori Fiechter
7-19-96

Design & Decision

Once in your life, if you're honest, you'll wonder,
"Why am I here? What's the meaning of life?"
Does life have a purpose or is it all pointless:
We live for awhile and then we must die?

But somehow I know that there has to be more to life;
Somehow I know we are here by design!
We're not the byproduct of some cosmic accident,
Evolving by chance through the eons of time!

Behind such design, there must be a Designer;
If there's a Creator, does He care about me?
And if God is all good, why is there so much evil?
Is this world the way that He meant it to be?

We read in His Word that this earth was once Paradise,
No violence or suffering, just pure harmony;
Man's disobedience brought death and destruction here;
That is the reason for the sorrow we see.

But God made a plan for man's full restoration;
A plan to redeem him from sin's tyranny;
He sent His own Son as the unblemished Sacrifice;
He paid our penalty--We can be free!

Death has no sting now--the Grave has no victory!
Jesus has conquered Death--He is alive!
But we have the free will to choose or reject His gift;
It is our decision-- And we must decide.

It all seems so simple, it all seems so clear now;
But we are so stubborn--we still hesitate!
It sounds pretty good but we guess there's no hurry;
We make our excuses, "Salvation can wait".

What will it take to get some sense of urgency?
Make a decision and make it today!
We're so cavalier toward our soul's final destiny--
Come while there's time now--Do not delay!

lori fiechter
april '96

Creative Denial

It frustrates and it angers me
to read of those who will not see--
who willingly are blind.

How can they gaze at Your great work
through telescope or microscope
and still deny the Book You wrote?

How can they say it all is chance?
--the honeybees' elaborate dance,
--the detailed cities of the ants,
--the photosynthesis of plants;
It is design--not happenstance!

Why do they choose to believe that we
are just offspring of slime?
Your creative work they relegate
to chance and Father Time.

Why do they cling so desperately
to such a dismal lie?
"without excuse" Your evidence is
"clearly seen", so, "Why?"

Lori Fiechter
4-16-96

Poor Vision--Perfect Trust!

Nothing surprises You, Father of lights
Or catches You unaware.
Though men commit evil, You turn it to good;
The outcome You already declare!

We are so nearsighted, our vision so dim
We can't see the ultimate end.
So when things don't go exactly our way,
We complain and fret once again.

If we could just trust You
When nothing makes sense,
When we've tried so hard and still failed;
When our whole world collapses around us,
When our beliefs are attacked and assailed;

When You seem so distant and so far away
And we're clinging to hope by a thread;
May we answer as Job, relying on faith:
"Though He slay me, I'll trust Him", he said.

One day our poor vision will all become clear;
We'll be glad that our faith remained strong!
All those tests and trials were
To make us more pure--
But then, You knew that all along!

Lori Fiechter
6-9-96

Mold Me, Lord!

Thank You for my failures, Lord;
They tend to curb my pride.
I'd be insufferable if I excelled
At everything I tried!

Thank You for the minor irritants
Which crop up every day;
How would I learn more patience
If things always went my way?

You work, Lord, through my weakness;
And that goes against the grain!
I don't "glory in infirmities"
Or count my loss as gain.

Someday, I will be perfect, Lord:
Free of pain, mistakes, and sin.
But until that day, I need Your grace;
And yes, Your discipline!

Lori Fiechter
6-17-96

You Are Worthy!

You are holy; You are just;
Who else is there we can trust?
Friends may falter, foes assail;
You alone won't change or fail!

You are worthy to be praised!
We will worship You, amazed:
Dazzled by Your majesty;
Humbled by Your sovereignty!

chorus:

You have made us; You sustain us;
You redeemed and will reclaim us!
You have saved us by Your grace;
How we long to see Your face!

verse 2:

Holy One of Israel,
Of Your might, no tongue can tell!
Righteous Father, God Most High;
King Eternal, Only Wise!

There is none, Lord, none like You--
All Your promises come true!
Blessed be Your Holy Name;
Let us sing of Your great fame!

(repeat chorus 2 times)

Lori Fiechter
6-29-96 & 7-3-96

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
The city of God in the hands of men!
Peace be to thee, without and within;
They shall prosper that love thee, Jerusalem!

chorus:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
They shall prosper that love thee,
Jerusalem!

Solomon's glory is long past and gone;
You have been a hissing, an object of scorn.
A burdensome stone for the nations you are:
Though tiny in size, yet Judah does roar!

Your friends are but few, while foes do abound;
You're denounced and upbraided by all those around.
Is there none to stand with you from the nations of men?
Beleaguered on all sides, Jerusalem!

Lift up your head--for redemption is near:
Those dwelling in Zion shall live without fear!
Chosen of God, though contested by men,
The Lord will yet comfort Jerusalem!

Jerusalem, Jerusalem;
The Lord will yet comfort
Jerusalem!

Oct. 24, 1996 (song)
Lori Fiechter

Return, Emmanuel!

Emmanuel, Emmanuel;
Thou "God with us", return, Emmanuel!
Come down once more and with us dwell;
You are our only hope, Emmanuel.

Emmanuel, Emmanuel;
O what a debt we owe, no tongue can tell!
You tasted death for us, You tasted hell;
You broke the chains of sin and fear, Emmanuel.

O Lord, look down; Look down and see;
This earth is not the way that it should be:
Creation groans for its release;
Emmanuel--Return, Thou Prince of peace!

Emmanuel, we praise Thy Name;
Lord, we repent--we will have You to reign!
Thou art the Christ; The only way;
O Sun of Righteousness,
Our King;
Return, we pray!

12-18-96 (song)
lori fiechter