Righteousness Applied

Thy righteousness, O God, extendeth
Far o’er the loftiest mountain height,
Ev’ry bright star beyond ascendeth,
Finding its zenith in thy light,
Where all thy servants praise thy judgments,
Blessing thy ways as all aright.

Mine own iniquity was sinking
Deeper than any ocean trench,
Still I had dug my grave, unthinking
Justice was waiting me to wrench
Into Gehenna’s terrors finally:
There worm undying, flame unquenched.

Thy lovingkindness, Jesus, sought me
Past heights of heav’n to deepest hell,
With thine atoning blood hast bought me,
Bondage to sin in me to quell,
Fitted in holy, righteous linen
That I may ‘neath thy glory dwell.

In thy great power, Savior, keep me
Till thy redeeming work is done;
Sanctify with thy grace completely;
Give thine endurance, race to run
Unto thee, Jesus, source, perfecter,
Unto thee, Father, Spirit, Son.

—To “Fragrance.” Finished 3/29/25.

Alive in Christ:
Spin me around like one of those tops,
The cheapy plastic ones,
The ones that never stop.
Let all the sin fly off
Like when you lean too far off a merry-go-round;
The gravity of joy overcome me
Like when you lean far enough in
And find yourself in the center of a star,
Massive, crushing—alive!
Spin me around, O life-giving Christ;
Whirl me with your righteous love and power,
That I may never stop.
—3/13/25