Hymn of the Week: The Kingdom of God

This week's hymn is a reflection on the New Testament's teachings about the Kingdom of God, and the chorus is an exultant prayer for its reality to be made ever more manifest in us and in our world. I've written it to a version of the classic Shaker tune "Tis a Gift to Be Simple." 

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God was proclaimed by Christ,

And set in our midst by his incarnate life;

Its gates thrown open by his sacrifice

And his bursting from the grave alive.

     (Chorus):

     Lord, let your Kingdom come in pow'r!

     May this be the day, may this be the hour!

     As you pour out your Spirit and you send us forth,

     May all nations come to praise you, Lord!

As the Church was sent out, in the Spirit's grace,

They called for all mankind to follow the Way;

By teaching of Christ and proclaiming his reign,

The Kingdom of God marched on in his name.

     (Chorus)

Now the Kingdom of God is present today

Here in this Body and here in this place;

And we who are priests of that Kingdom pray

And go in its power, to seek and save.

     (Chorus)

The Kingdom is already here, but still

Not yet in its fullness, as one day it will;

And so we yearn for the trumpet call

When the God who reigns will be All in All.

     (Chorus x2)

(Photo above by PtrQs, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license)