Thy Kingdom Come

Thy kingdom come with power and grace
In every heart of man;
Thy peace and joy and righteousness
In all our bosoms reign!

The righteousness that never ends,
But makes an end of sin;
The joy that human thought transcends,
Now to our souls bring in;

The kingdom of established peace,
Which can no more remove;
The perfect power of Godliness;
The omnipotence of Love!

--Charles Wesley (1707-1788), English priest, hymns, and poets, founder with his brother of the movement eventually known as Methodism. He wrote over 6500 hymns in his lifetime.

Scriptural Reference: Luke 11:1-13, Proper 12C

Morning Hymn

Christ, whose glory fills the skies, 
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise, 
Triumph o’er the shades of night: 
Day-spring from on high, be near: 
Day-star, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn 
Unaccompanied by thee, 
Joyless is the day’s return, 
Till thy mercy’s beams I see; 
Till thy inward light impart, 
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart. 

Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin, and grief, 
Fill me, Radiancy Divine, 
Scatter all my unbelief, 
More and more thyself display, 
Shining to the perfect day.

- Charles Wesley (17907-1788), Anglican priest, poet, and musician, and one of the founders of Methodism

Related Scripture: Psalm 15, Epiphany 4A

The Still, Small Voice

Open, Lord, my inward ear,
  And bid my heart rejoice;
Bid my quiet spirit hear
  The comfort of thy voice:

Never in the whirlwind found,
  Or where earthquakes rock the place, —
Still and silent is the sound,
  The whisper, of thy grace.

From the world of sin and noise
  And hurry I withdraw;
For the small and inward voice
  I wait with humble awe:
Silent am I now and still,
  Would not in thy presence move:
To my waiting soul reveal
  The secret of thy love!

--Charles Wesley, Anglican priest, poet, hymn writer, and founder of Methodism

Scriptural reference: 1 Kings 19:1-15a (Proper 7, Year C of the RCL, track 1)