"God is Present! God is with Us!"

In the next week I will be coming to the end of my sabbath leave from St. Mary's. I am thankful for the opportunity to simply be and to experience the presence and Spirit of God that is all around me, but which I'm often too preoccupied to see and recognize.

God is very present all around us! God is definately with us! Do we take time out of our hectic lives and schedules to appreciate that reality?

One day I saw God in the countryside during a drive through King township which included a walk through the grounds of the McMichael Art Gallery and the Kortright Conservation Center. On another excursion I experienced God in a walk through downtown Toronto: visiting places of worship, walking through a park, witnessing the poverty and in other ways too.

I attended two conferences on Spirituality and Photography: one in North Carolina, the other in New Mexico. These afforded me the opportunity to capture some of my experience of God through the lens of my camera. These were grace filled moments, and although I couldn't capture every image and every experience, as I look through the images I have I can return to that place and space where God was so visible and recognizable.

As a family we went to New York City. What an adventure into the urban culture. Amidst all of the hustle and bustle God was revealed to me there too. Like in downtown Toronto, God is present in the midst of the urban environment.

If you're interested, some of the images I captured, and the reflections that go along with them can be found on my blog "Spirituality in Focus" at www.spiritualityinfocus.blogspot.com

Out of these experiences, and the opportunity to simply "be" rather than "do", I have written the hymn "God is Present! God is with Us!" It expresses for me what I have learned and had the priviledge of enjoying over these past months. It is also a reminder to me that I need to take what I have learned and experienced and continue in this disipline even as I return to the stresses, schedules and responsiblities of my ministry at St. Mary's.

The tune is also one of my many favorites. It's a joy filled metre that proclaims a spirit of celebration and thanksgiving.

“God is Present! God is with Us!”

Tune: Lasst Uns Erfreuen
Metre: LM with Alleluias

Blessings surround us day to day
awesome and beautiful display;
God is present, God is with us!
But in the hectic lives we live
we often miss what God can give;
God is present! God is with us!
Sing our praises! Shout rejoicing!
God is with us!

Nature brings forth a broad array;
trees, birds and flowers to survey;
God is present, God is with us!
And in the urban centers too
God’s Spirit sets out to renew.
God is present! God is with us!
Sing our praises! Shout rejoicing!
God is with us!

Open our eyes that we might see
God’s grace so full of mystery;
God is present! God is with us!
Grace moments in our daily stress,
the sacred truth so endless.
God is present! God is with us!
Sing our praises! Shout rejoicing!
God is with us!

Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2010. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.

Maundy Thursday Hymn ... "Holy banquet, Sacred Feast"

The celebration of the Eucharist is a primary focus for my personal theology and spirituality. Sharing in this holy feast is a source of nourishment as I am fed and nurtured.

Sharing in communion reminds me of God's real presence with me no matter what I may be experiencing in my journey of life or faith. Receiving the gift of the bread of life and drinking of the cup of salvation is a priviledge which also carries with it a responsiblity. I am changed and transformed in my experience of God which requires that I faithfully do what I can to make a difference in transforming the world I live in and the people I meet. This vocation and ministry is one we share as followers of Jesus Christ. It is a humbling vocation. At the holy table, sharing in the holy banquet, we don't simply receive passively, we're called to actively participate.

Too often in the world we live we feel we have to understand and explain all things. The Eucharist is a mystery and therefore can't easily be explained our understood with our finite human minds. What exactly happens and how it happens is something that we trust in through the working of the Holy Spirit. The bread and wine are presented, blessed, broken and shared; in that act of celebration and thanksgiving something profound happens.

On Maundy Thursday we celebrate the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples in the upper room. As they celebrated Passover, this simple meal of bread and wine took on such significance for we who have become the church. Jesus broke bread and said, "This is my body broken for you"; He took the cup of wine and said, "This is my blood shed for you." What a gift to not only remember that sacred moment of Holy Week, but to bring it into the present. We're called like the disciples to take our place at the banquet table; what a privilege; what an honor; what a responsiblity too!

I have written the words to this hymn to reflect the profound gift I receive at the eucharistic table, and that I hope you receive too. It is set to the lenten hymn tune "Song 13".

"Holy Banquet, Sacred Feast"

Meter: 7777
Tune: Song 13

Holy banquet, sacred feast
meant for greatest and for least.
Christ presides at breaking bread
for the hungry to be fed.

Sacred mystery so divine
as he passes cup of wine.
Body broken, blood outpoured
our slavation is assured.

This my body given for you
bread of heaven to renew
and for you my blood is shed
our redemption as he bled.

May we take our honored place
invitation by God's grace
and receive beyond compare
God's great blessing to declare.

Now may we his body share
live his risen life in prayer;
bring to life a hope made new
as we drink with thanks to you.


Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2010. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.

Christmas Hymn ... "In the Ordinary Moments"

Christmas is such a special time of faith, and for the renewing of our relationship with God. And yet, I have been reminded that God also uses the ordinariness of life to reach out to us, to speak to us and to call us into further relationship with Him.

The gift of the Incarnation is a prime example of that. In many ways, Mary was an ordinary young girl living an ordinary life engaged to an ordinary man. Yet something extraordinary happened to her and through her.

And there was the ordinary politicians who were doing their ordinary work of governing their nations and peoples. They were conducting an ordinary census which took these two ordinary individuals on a journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And speaking of Bethlehem, talk about ordinary small village that was barely on the map. And yet something so extraordinary would happen when they reached their destination, something so much more than simply being counted.

The shepherds were ordinary guardians of the sheep out in an ordinary pasture doing their ordinary nightly chore of watching over their sheep. Yet something extraordinary was made known to them which they then witnessed with their own eyes. And through them God spread an extraordinary message.

The stable was an ordinary barn with ordinary animals making their ordinary noises, eating from their ordinary trough of hay and oats. Yet something extraordinary happened there as God used that space to be born into this world.

As God takes on human flesh, something very extraordinary happens. God becomes one of us and we are blessed beyond measure. God reaches into our very souls and gives us a message of hope and promise that we really do mean something to Him, that God loves us more than we could ever imagine, that God wants us to be free of all that burdens us in this ordinary life we live.

This Christmas, ask yourself what are the ordinary moments, routines, traditions and even people that are in your life; and in those ordinary moments, how, when and where do you experience the extraordinary gift of God's presence and God's hand of healing upon you and this world in which we live.

I wrote this hymn on the theme of the exraordinary gift we receive in the ordinary moments of our lives. I hope that it inspires you to recognize the power of our extraordinary God right here today in your life and in mine!

"In the Ordinary Moments"

metre: 8787
tune: Stuttgart

In the ordinary moments
of our ordinary lives;
promises of sacred presence
as Incarnate God arrives.

Humble in a stable lowly,
cradled in a cattle stall;
nothing special, yet so holy,
brings redemption meant for all.

Angels sang their sacred message
to the shepherds unaware;
they should go and pay their homage
for good news was in the air.

Not expecting such great blessing
in the ordinary ways
of our world and daily living
God inspires us to amaze.

In the ordinary moments
of our ordinary lives;
promises of sacred presence
as Incarnate God arrives.

Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2009. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.

"Justice, Mercy and Forgiveness" ... a Hymn for the Reign of Christ

The reign of Christ is about today and the present as much as an event in the past. In fact, even more so! Jesus' life, ministry and teaching and of course his death, resurrection and promised gift of the Holy Spirit are all integral to the message of hope that we know as His kingdom and His reign. But that is also about today; and it's about us today too as disciples and faithful followers.

The message of Jesus' reign is a foreign one in our contemporary society just as it was in His own day too. Mercy, justice and forgiveness are the marks of the reign of Christ that is for all time and all places; they are the foundations of the Kingdom of God. How does that fit with a society that rewards the very opposite of what Jesus himself proclaimed, and what in the end he died for? It doesn't! But that's what we profess to believe in; and that's the message we're called to preach with conviciton; proclaim with boldness; and live out with confidence. It is only through the gift of the Holy Spirit that we can ever hope to do so!

We know Jesus' crown wasn't made of glittering gold, it was a crown of thorns; and, his throne wasn't comfortable either, it was the splinters of a wooden cross. All that Jesus did in his ministry and all that he taught were foundational to this moment of sacrafice as he suffered and died. And, the hope that we trust in was made real in a resurrected Christ who appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, in the upper room and on the beach.

Christ ascended to glory with the promise that He would return. And in truth, he does return again and again. He makes himself known in the everyday, ordinariness of life. We have opportunity to recognize and experience the glories of the resurrected Christ in kingdom moments we encounter along life's road; in our times of suffering, as well as in our times of joy and celebration. All we have to do is be open to seeing, hearing and ultimately believing!

For me, no where is the glory of the reign of Christ more evident than as we gather at the holy table to share in the holy banquet. We have a standing invitation. All we have to do is accept the invitation; go to the table; and receive that grace that God has in store for us; food for the journey; nourishment for the soul!

The mystery of the reign of Christ is that it is a reign that was in the past, that is today and that is yet to come in all of its fullness. Let's enter into the mystery of this sacred and holy feast day; let's celebrate the mystery with faith, hope and promise!

I wrote the words to this hymn as a reflection of what the Reign of Christ means to me. It's sung to one of my favorite hymn tunes, Cwm Rhandda. I hope you are inpsired to reflect on what the Reign of Christ means for you.

"Justice, Mercy and Forgiveness"

metre: 878787 and repeat
tune: Cwm Rhondda

Justice, mercy and forgiveness are the mark's of Jesus' reign;
His compassion is forever, healing those who are in pain.
Promised freedom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.

With a twisted crown of thorns; from the cross his sacred throne;
Jesus was compliant unto death, as God's grace and love were shown.
Promised kingdom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.

Far beyond our comprehension; more than we could ever ask;
with the promised resurrection, He's the one up for the task.
Promised kingdom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.

Through the promised Holy Spirit; God will lead us on our way;
By a holy invitation as we take the time to pray.
Promised kingdom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.

God's prepared a sacred banquet, now we're called to take our place;
With the table spread before us; with all those of every race;
Promised kingdom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.

Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2009. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.

50th Wedding Anniversary Hymn ... "Patient Love, Such Awesome Grace"

This month my parents are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary. This is a time of joy and celebration for us as a family. I am grateful for my relationship with them that has assisted in my growth into who I am today. Being grounded in a family that cared for and about each other was and remains a gift in my life. Celebrating their anniversary is honoring and paying tribute to the relationships in their lives, mine included, that have meant and continue to mean so much.

Love is first and foremost a gift from God. God shows us over and over again what it means to truly love. Of course the most profound example of that is the sending of his Son Jesus Christ to make things right and offer us the hope and promise of grace. Paul so eloquently describes for the early church, and for us too, the love of God in that well known passage from his first letter to the Corinthians.

We're called to emulate that love in our relationships with each other. Sometimes we do that very well; other times we don't. However, it's always something we're called to strive for.

I offer this hymn about God's love and our call to love each other in celebration of my parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary. My prayer for them is that they will continue to love each other, and those around them, just as God has loved them; and, that I may continue to learn from their witness as together we celebrate their 50 years of marriage.

“Patient Love, Such Awesome Grace”

Tune: Duke Street
Metre: LM

Perfect love, such awesome grace,
Love that is joyful to embrace.
Love that is patient and endures
This is the love that Christ ensures.

Through all time God’s love doesn’t end
God’s love grows stronger to transcend.
In sacred moments, on holy ground
God’s love is surely to be found.

Love faithfully in gentleness,
Show one another kindness.
God’s example is to be lived
As one another we forgive.

Faith and hope and love abide,
These are the gifts that God provides;
But to be sure love is the best
And by this love we all are blessed.

Love one another as I love you
Christ’s great commandment live anew.
In the relations of your life
As parent, child, husband and wife.

Perfect love, such awesome grace,
Love that is joyful to embrace.
Love that is patient and endures
This is the love that Christ ensures.

Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2009. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.

Celebrating 20 Years of ordained ministry ... Hymn about ministry

Next week, I will celebrate 20 years since I was ordained a Deacon in the church. I find it difficult to believe it has been that long. It has been a very fruitful ministry with many blessings, as well as times of difficulty. In all of it, I have felt assured that God has called me to this vocation, and that God has blessed me to be able to do the work he has invited me into. It has been a time of many grace moments, of standing on holy ground, and of entering into very sacred conversations. It has been about relationships - between God and I, as well as between the people of God's church and me. I give thanks for the parishes in which I have served, and for the lessons of faith I continue to learn. I give thanks for colleagues in ministry I have worked with.

For me, times of anniversary are a natural time to look forward as well as to the past. I do so confident that God is very much a part of my present, and will undoubtedly be part of my future ministry as well. It is only by God's grace, and under the guidance of God's Holy Spirit that I can and will do the work placed before me.

Ministry is definately a priviledge. I thank God for entrusting me and for continuing to empower me to be the priest he has called me to be. I pray that my future in ministry may be as fruitful as my past; that God will continue to work through me, by His grace and blessed by His Spirit.

I wrote this hymn, "You Call us into Ministry" in honor of this anniversary to one of my favorite tunes, Woodlands, meter 10 10 10 10.

You call us into ministry to serve,
to work through us your kingdom to preserve.
Help us to always seek to do your will;
the gospel promises you will fulfill.

To care and love as instruments of grace;
a priviledge and blessing we embrace.
Its humbling as we stand on holy ground.
God is a presence real and so profound.

Blessed and empowered we're able to discern;
we're gifted with vocations as we learn;
from day to day, the story comes alive;
God's hope and promise surely will survive.

Help us to be your hands, your feet, your ears.
Inspire in us a trust despite our fears.
It seems a daunting ministry ahead;
yet with your help it's one we need not dread.

So may we risk just as the Spirit soars;
faithful and trusting that each call is yours!
Help us the truth with confidence to speak;
God's guiding presence is all that we seek.

Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2009. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.

"Living and Chosen Stones" ... Hymn based on 1 Peter 2

I appreciate Peter's use of the image of living and chosen stones to describe the church. As I hold on to a stone in my hand, whether it is smooth or rough, no matter where I picked it up, no matter what colour it is, that stone reminds me of the relationship between God and the church. In particular, it gives me great hope in terms of where we are headed in the mission and ministry God has invited us into.

To be living means to be alive and full of the Spirit. God gives the church life, and despite our many challenges, I feel confident and hopeful that God's church will never die. We have work to do and conversatons to be had and decisions to be made. If we intentionally stay attuned to God's desire for the church, then we will have the means to do the ministries we enter into because they will be of God. God gives us life, and to be sure I believe God will sustain us as well! That is our only hope for the future. As the doxology for the Eucharist reminds us, God can and will do far more than we can ask or imagine. There is no limit to what God will do with us and through us! Thanks and praise to God for that truth!

God has chosen the church as well. It's a priviledge to be chosen, and a gift too. We are called by God as individuals, and collectively too. Whether we are talking about the church at the local parish level, or diocesan or national or as a communion, God says to us "You are my beloved; I have and continue to call you; I have chosen you; I have something I need you to do for me and for the world!" The question remains, what is our response. I pray that we will work with the Spirit in our midst, and become more and more the followers of Christ we are called to be.

In our baptisms we said "Yes!"; each time we renew our baptismal covenants we say "Yes!" again. What does that "Yes!" really mean? And when we promise to live that covenant with God's help, are we really ready to ask for the assistance of the Spirit, and listen for the advice of the Spirit and follow the direction of the Spirit? I hope so, and I pray so. The ministry of the church depends upon it. And I believe we have a bright, optimistic, spirit filled future ahead of us.

We are "living and chosen stones"! Let's never forget that and especially let's never stop living that vocation we are called to by God.

These reflections led me to write “Living & Chosen Stones” set to the tune "Darwall" with a metre 66 66 88.

Living and chosen stones, we’re built upon the rock
Foundation solid in God’s Son, Lord Jesus Christ!
We are God’s church, a praying house to do God’s will, proclaiming truth.

Our faith is made secure through stories we have heard,
Alive and vibrant as we listen to God’s Word.
We are God’s church, a praying house to do God’s will, proclaiming truth.

We gather to discern, our mission to embrace;
Unsure ourselves where we might go we ask for grace.
We are God’s church, a praying house to do God’s will, proclaiming truth.

As living, chosen stones, there is a way ahead;
And with attentive prayerful hearts we’re Spirit led
We are God’s church, a praying house to do God’s will, proclaiming truth.

All praise and thanks to God who guides us on our way;
We are empowered by the Spirit every day!
We are God’s church, a praying house to do God’s will, proclaiming truth.

Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2009. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.