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| A Ship of Grace |
The following poem is the result of that effort. Each of us has had experiences in our lives where we feel the need of being rescued. Those of us in the Christian faith carry a hope of rescue and of receiving grace even though we are undeserving of such special favors. It is my hope that this poem may find its way into your heart and that you will be blessed by a hope of rescue from whatever difficulty you may be experiencing. If you have not caught it, my concept of this ship of grace is that of the "Body of Believers" or more simply the church.
The hymn tune is ZION'S PILGRIM taken from the hymnbook "Christian Lyre," 1831. The harmonization was written by Jay D. Weaver with assistance from Henry E. Busche and Marcie Miller.
A Ship of Grace to Set Us Free
Our journey through life is oft periled with gales;
The seas roar and mighty waves roll.
In darkness we tremble as all courage fails;
We’re shipwrecked and lost on the shoal.
Imprisoned on islands of sin and despair,
We cry to the Lord of the sea,
“Although we’re not worthy, is anyone there
Who somehow might help set us free?”
When out of the darkness there comes a sweet voice,
“You are not alone on this sea.
I made a great ship; won’t you make it your choice?
By grace, I will then set you free.”
With Christ at the helm, will our ship stand the test?
Through treacherous waters she sails.
Ah, soon we will enter a haven of rest,
Where love dwells and grace never fails.
Our ship anchored, safe, now the fury is gone;
The master has calmed the wild sea.
But others are lost and our work is not done
Until all are rescued and free.
May we serve as lights to our neighbors who ride
In peril upon the wild sea.
He made us a great ship of grace when we cried;
He surely will help set them free.
Copyright (c) by Jay D Weaver December 15, 1999