When I stumble and fall down
With no comfort, face or hand around
To liberate me with a loving grasp
I'm inclined to don a frozen mask
To shield hidden anxious fears,
And tend to dam the flow of tears
That yearn for freedom in the domain
Of a soul quivering on a bed of pain.

In the face of doubts, suffering and disease,
That lash friends and force us to our knees;
In the darkness of hate and sin that blind,
Poverty and despair that grind;
It is then I decide to surrender and cleave
And turn to you, Abba, for I believe.

Moments of faith are needed, Lord,
For wisdom has wavered and I have poured
Hours of my life into the cup of the world,
To find success drained and failure swirled
And I drank deeply and with distaste,
Struck dumb at the mistakes and waste.

As such times, we believers cling to you,
And to your words and eternal view.
In contrast with routes to which we have hewed;
Our errors so frequent, achievements so few.

Within the range of human eyes,
I cannot see past the sunrise;
Unlike you, I cannot peer far
Beyond the most distant, even unseen star,
Where your kingdom of worshipers lies,
Beyond the sound of human cries.
Yet in our spells of weakness and fears
Your antennae capture our needs and tears,
You hear our moans and you sense our pain
And reach out to us again and again.

As just another mere man,
So different from you, I cannot scan
A laboring, pulsing human heart
And know its ultimate span, or every part
Of weather and DNA patterns you designed
And which in natural order you bind.

But even in my seeking mind
Which seems unremarkable, I cull
Promising green shoots of the spiritual;
In this quest, I count you as the keys,
Who unlock great mysteries:
Our Cover, the Other: Father, Spirit and Son,

One in all and all in One.

Amen, Lord God, we recognize
You as our greatest heavenly prize;
That you are so much more than earth,
And our far-flung universe.
Buffeted by life, we cower, yet crave
Each tick of our remaining days;
Yet hope and faith dictate our fate:
That when the hourglass dissipates,
And our lightning transfer is complete
To bring us bowing at your feet
We will praise and we will bond
With you forever in the great beyond.