Stream of Mercy Never Failing
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1. Stream of Mercy never failing,
Here we stand and look to you.
Pour your presence now upon us.
Come and christen us anew.
You have named us all your people.
You have birthed us as your own.
You’ve restored us, wholly family,
In your Spirit flowing down.
2. Empty promises divide us.
Empty goals stand in our way.
We renounce the many “isms”
That turn “we” to “we and they.”
We acknowledge our involvement.
We have all dividers been.
Make us healers of division,
As your family we defend.
3. Keep us mindful of our oneness
In your water’s wide embrace.
Give us eyes to see our kinship
Everywhere in every face.
May we learn the way of Jesus,
Learn to challenge and to serve.
May we learn to live together,
Loving all without reserve.
4. Stream of Mercy, flow upon us
Come and green our wilted vines
We Are thirsting for your justice
Now your realm our only wine
Give us courage to be faithful
May we know we’re not alone
Give us joy in our reunion
With our siblings finally known.
Words and music by Bret Hesla.
© 2004 Bret Hesla. All rights reserved. Use with permission, please.
Licensed via OneLicense.net. Contact: Bret.hesla@gmail.com.
Anti-racism hymn. See also alt title: “Holy River Never Failing.“
Tune: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
Or use the alt melody I’ve written.
In the early 90s, I heard Joe Barndt of Crossroads (Chicago) give a talk on how, as Christians, we are all antiracist by the vows of our baptism. The gist of the talk was that God’s purpose in Christian faith is to reunite all people as one human family, to make us whole again. The two questions of baptism, “Do you confess the faith in which you are baptized?” and “Do you renounce the forces of evil…?” could be rephrased as “Do you believe you are being made a part of the restored family of God?” and “Do you promise to defend the restored family of God from anything that would break it up again?” When we say “Yes,” we vow to defend the family and resist all that would break it apart – racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, ageism, militarism, nationalism, ableism. I hope this song helps further the work we all need to do – both as individuals and as communities– to become anti-racists.