Come and visit
Wales "Land of revivals".
The flame burns no more,
but the chapels are still there.
Moriah, Bethesda, Sion
All empty.
See the chapel they built
for Rowland.
His statute stands outside
pointing nowhere.
The voice now still,
Gospel eloquence dead.
This is where Elias preached
auctioning the drunkards,
banning the Sabbath fairs.
But he's gone now,
Calvinistic Methodism,
A shadow.
Those majestic barren hills once
echoed to the sound of
Christmas Evans'
Bunyanic passion.
Time and death have silenced
the one-eyed prophet.
Mary Jones braved mountain
chills for the Holy Book.
New Mary Jones braves
the glossy mall
on a busy Saturday
for an Argos Catalogue.
"What we need is another '04!"
But does the Lord who forbids
vain repetition
display no originality?
We need revival, but ours
is not a God of cut and paste.
What then, for the old, cold
land of revivals?
Will fires burn once more?
Shall preachers catch the gospel
flame and blaze with glory?
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Wales "Land of revivals".
The flame burns no more,
but the chapels are still there.
Moriah, Bethesda, Sion
All empty.
See the chapel they built
for Rowland.
His statute stands outside
pointing nowhere.
The voice now still,
Gospel eloquence dead.
This is where Elias preached
auctioning the drunkards,
banning the Sabbath fairs.
But he's gone now,
Calvinistic Methodism,
A shadow.
Those majestic barren hills once
echoed to the sound of
Christmas Evans'
Bunyanic passion.
Time and death have silenced
the one-eyed prophet.
Mary Jones braved mountain
chills for the Holy Book.
New Mary Jones braves
the glossy mall
on a busy Saturday
for an Argos Catalogue.
"What we need is another '04!"
But does the Lord who forbids
vain repetition
display no originality?
We need revival, but ours
is not a God of cut and paste.
What then, for the old, cold
land of revivals?
Will fires burn once more?
Shall preachers catch the gospel
flame and blaze with glory?
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Daniel Rowland's statue, Llangeitho
'We need revival, but ours
ReplyDeleteis not a God of cut and paste'
I really like that. How much do I owe you in royalties if I use that some Sunday morning?
I do not write for the sake of filthy lucre. No one would really pay me for the stuff anyway.
ReplyDeleteIf you like it, quote it by all means!
I notice you've come over all poetical with the approach of Gwyl Dewi Sant. 'Land of revivals' is a bit of a liability, as well meant as it is. We ought to pray for Wales today though. you can only live off the past for so long.
ReplyDeleteYes, Gary. That's the point I was trying to make. I was attempting to subvert the "land of revivals" thing as empty nostalga. We need the Lord to do a new work - revival for the 21st century.
ReplyDelete