St Peters RC Church Hamilton

August does offer the fullness of summer,

A display of flowers unlike any other.

The garden and park borders overflow with colour,

But it is important to trim, cut back, keep in order.

Our faith is just like this.

We have to be trimmed down to size

Lest we rise above our natural station,

A driving obsession for independence.

Was not all of our childhood aiming at this?

Well yes, but independence has to be kept in balance.

We need awareness as to the Lord God’s authority,

His seniority and sovereignty in every aspect of life.

Without this, strife easily arises

As our ideas, plans, ambitions run away with us.

We need the correct focus, which is the life of Jesus,

Ever reverent and fully obedient to our Father.

We do not become smarter by living without prayer,

For prayer is the best repair of all we get wrong.

Why? Because through the Lord Jesus,

His life of holiness shared with us to help us make progress

According to the calling of the Spirit of faith,

We learn, even yearn for better order,

Which in turn through obedience, builds a greater reverence.

A respect for the Lord God Almighty, the amazing Trinity,

Who in love’s perfect unity, gifts life to us,

Plus the † of forgiveness for our erring and straying,

Then tenderly prunes us to keep our faith’s focus on Jesus.

The result will be even neater than an August well kept border,

Well tended with scrupulous care by the gardener.

For the Lord Jesus as Master, will ever champion us,

Asking His Spirit of wisdom to guide and safeguard us.

We too can flower fully in the garden of heaven on earth,

The Son and the Spirit giving birth to life’s order and neatness,

An order respectful and dutiful, all to the honour of God, truly beautiful.

Dearest Father, thank You that Your scriptural narrative offers us the wisest, soundest advice to live by, particularly as we see reflected in the gospels, the narrative account of how Jesus lived. He lived so well to

Your glory. May we too! May we so grow in faith we seek, find,  understand and follow such advice, always listening out for a stirring of the Holy Spirit, and keeping a keen focus on the example of the Lord Jesus, His being the wisest advice to live by. Amen.