THE STORY OF AMAZING GRACE

"Amazing Grace" is an autobiographical hymn by John Newton (1725-1807). John's mother died when he was 6 years old. He joined his father's ship at the age of 11, and began a life as a seaman. As an adult he lived a hardened life. At age 23, he was on board a cargo ship against heavy seas and turbulent weather. Worn out and almost frozen, it appeared all would be lost. He was amazed to be saved from almost certain death by the grace of God.

This near-death experience was the turning point of Newton's life. He began to grow in faith over the years and at age 39, he became a minister. Wherever John Newton preached, large crowds gathered to hear the "Old Converted Sea Captain." He wrote the verses while preparing for one of his messages.

'Amazing Grace' originally consisted of six stanzas and was entitled "Faith's Review and Expectation." The tune is an early American folk melody, entitled "Loving Lambs." You may be surprised to find the sixth verse unfamiliar. Most modern day hymnals close with the verse that begins with "when we've been there ten thousand years". Remarkably, this stanza was not authored by Newton but was inserted into the hymn in the 1900's, at which time the sixth verse Newton authored was dropped.

Below is the original version as written by Newton. (1-6)

1

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

2

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!

3

Thro' many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

4

The Lord has promis'd good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

5

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

6
(later dropped and replaced with #7)

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be forever mine.

7
(added stanza, not authored by Newton)

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.

JOHN 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

GENESIS 21:16

.....and seating herself on the earth, she gave way to bitter weeping,
saying, Let me not see the death of my child.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep:
May God guard me through the night
And wake me with the morning light.
Amen.
~ Traditional Prayer

MARK 10: 14 - 16

"Let the children come to me; do not hinder them". . . .
And he took them in his arms and blessed them.....

I hear no voice, I feel no touch,
I see no glory bright;
But yet I know that God is near,
In darkness as in light.

He watches ever by my side,
And hears my whispered prayer:
The Father for His little child
Both night and day doth care.

-- Author Unknown

God in heaven hear my prayer,
keep me in thy loving care.
Be my guide in all I do,
Bless all those who love me too.
Amen.
~ Traditional Prayer

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.

-- Author Unknown

God is great! God is good!
Let us thank Him for our food.
Amen.
~ Traditional Prayer

Father, we thank thee for the night,
And for the pleasant morning light;
For rest and food and loving care,
And all that makes the day so fair.

Help us to do the things we should,
To be to others kind and good;
In all we do, in work or play,
To grow more loving every day.

-- Rebecca Weston - 1890

Angel of God, my Guardian dear,
To whom God's love commits me here;
Ever this day, be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide.

-- Traditional

Psalm 56:3

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.....

THE OLD, OLD BIBLE

I found an old, old Bible
From two hundred years ago.
I read those old familiar words
From a time I didn't know.

Pressed between the pages
Was a lock of auburn hair
And a rose from some occasion
Of happy times or of despair.

Notes and prayers were tucked away,
With clipped ads for things to buy.
A page handwritten carefully
Of family members that had died.

Did some mother's trembling hands
Write a name upon this page
As teardrops trickled from her eyes
And left these stains time can't erase?

Or did a father write the name
Of his brave and only son
Who died in a distant battlefield
For some freedom we have won?

Did a mother die in childbirth
Or did a father die from plague?
I guess some family members
Died simply from old age.

The names were scrolled with pen and ink,
Perhaps by candlelight,
While heavy hearts... reminisced
Of days, and years, and life.

I read the Bible scriptures
And I wrote a little prayer
For their family and for mine,
For the pain we somehow share.

I cut a lock of my own hair
And I clipped an ad or two.
I placed them in the bible,
Right in the book of Luke.

I held a sacred flower
From the funeral of my son,
Placed it between the pages
With a note of what I'd done.

So I'll keep this old, old Bible
And I'll write my family's names,
And in two hundred years from now
Someone else can do the same.

© 2009 ~ Christine Ross
~Bringer Of Light Poetry~
In memory of Lucas Christopher Ross 1979 - 2001

Published
January 2010, Volume 25 No. 1
LIVING WITH LOSS magazine
Bereavement Publications, Inc.

THE BEATITUDES
Matthew 5:1-12

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain:
and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to reap, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

PSALM 23:1-6

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

LUKE 23:46

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.

Jesus loves me!
This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak but He is strong.

Jesus loves me!
Loves me still,
Tho I'm very weak and ill,
That I might from sin be free,
Bled and died upon the tree.

Jesus loves me!
He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me!
He will stay
Close beside me all the way.
Thou hast bled and died for me;
I will henceforth live for Thee.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

~ Anna B. Warner, 1820 -1915

Matthew 18:5

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

In the arms of Jesus.....

LUKE 10:31

He passed by on the other side.

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

In the arms of an Angel.....

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

II CORINTHIANS 5:7

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

EXODUS 31:3

And I have filled him with the spirit of God,
in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge.....

DID YOU HEAR ME PRAYING?

Did you hear me praying
On the day the angels came?
Did you know I asked you
To spare me from this pain?

Did you see me begging
Not to take my child away?
Did you touch me when I screamed
On that awful dreadful day?

Did you understand my cry
In that lonesome funeral home?
Did you answer my request
Not to leave me all alone?

Did you think about my bargain
To please take me instead?
Did you give me any warning
That my child would soon be dead?

Did you accept my thankfulness
For all those wonderful years?
Did you heed my pleading
To dry up all these tears?

Did you walk along beside me
When I needed you the most?
Did you introduce my child
To yourself... the Holy Ghost?

Did you think that I'd forgive you
And understand your way?
Did you know... I finally did
Even though I went astray?

Did you say you never left me
And you heard my every plea?
Did you wonder where I was
While you waited patiently?

Will you listen to me praying
On the day the angels come?
Will you carry me across
And bring my soul back home?

© 2009 Christine Ross - Bringer of Light
~ in memory of Lucas Christopher Ross 1979 - 2001

1 Corinthians 13:4...

Love is patient and kind. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

LUKE 1:79

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

DEAR GOD

Dear God I am just wondering
where you've been for all these years?
I've called your name and prayed to you
but all I've ever gotten is tears.

You took my son away from me
and left me all alone to grieve.
I've tried to be understanding
and have faith in what I can't see.

I never hear a word from you
but my son always visits me.
He brings comfort from the other side
while you leave me on bended knee.

I've been so angry and wondered why
you would forsake me as your child.
But lately I've been wondering
if you've listened all the while.

I think that my son visits me
because of your amazing grace.
And that I could never see him
without your light upon his face.

Dear God I am just wondering
where I've been for all these years.
I called your name and prayed to you
but you were already here.

© 2006 - Christine Ross
~ in memory of Lucas Christopher Ross 1979 - 2001

Matthew 28:20

I am with you always.

John 1:4

In him was life, and that life was the light of men.