Ocean

“... because if grace is water, the Church should be an ocean” –Jefferson Bethke

Grace is the water which brought life
To the arid soil
Of my heart;
It is grace
That washes over the stains
Of my soul,
And brings me to the harbor
Of my Father’s arms.

I want the water to overflow the bounds
Of my heart,
To pour into the lives
Of those I love.
I offer my heart to you,
My friends,
But sometimes, as I stand here,
I feel more like an oasis
Than a part
Of the ocean
We were meant to be.

Where are the waves,
Oh Church?
Where are the rivers
Of mercy,
Unfathomable,
Unstoppable?
Where is a love
So deep
No wall could stand against it?

We should be the ocean.
The waves should swell
With grace,
Should roll
With grace,
Should roar
With grace.
May we drown the deserts,
Oh Church;
May we seal the craters we’ve created—
May we bring the life
They long for,
Filling, at last,
The hearts that thirst for love.