St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

I believe in God, who fills me

Tune: I'm a little teapot.

I believe in God, the Father, Son,
Holy Spirit, three in one.
I believe he fills me from above,
so that I can share his love.

Jesus came and died at Calvary,
took my sins and set me free,
rose again to prove his victory,
wants to share his power with me.

"I will send my Spirit" says the Lord,
"on all people he'll be poured:
young men will see visions, old dream dreams,
there'll be laughs and shouts and screams!

Everyone who hears can come and call
on my name - I'm Lord of all.
In my presence they will find their home,
they'll be saved and be my own."

Come, O Holy Spirit, though we're slow,
you can point us for your flow.
Come and fill us, Spirit, make us move,
then the world will know your love.

We printed the sermon that goes with this song two years ago (July 2001, page 6), but at that stage I hadn’t realized I’d better start printing the songs so they could be used in church services and school assemblies elsewhere.

The words of the song are taken from what Peter says to explain what it meant when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples (Acts 2:14-21, based on Joel 2:28-31). Joel says we should pass on God’s love to others: like a little teapot.

Wouldn’t it be worthwhile, although we’re only short and stout: for God to handle us and put us in the right place to help people? For God to use us as channels of his love for others? And to pour ourselves out and bring God’s blessings to those he also wants to touch and draw into his kingdom?

It can happen - that’s why God gives us his Holy Spirit. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” says Joel. But how can they call on God unless they come to know him for themselves - unless we come and share God’s love with them?

I’m a Little Teapot is a children’s tune. But this is a song about the meaning of life!

John Hartley