Fragments and Unity

Ordinary Means of Grace

Ordinary Means of Grace
Warwick Allen
Sunday, 25 May 2025

[Verse 1]
I breathe Your Breath in the quiet,
knowing my prayer is heard.
I eat the bread, the good diet,
of Your daily, guiding Word.

[Chorus]
We receive them in
the ordinary,
Your daily mercy
and Your endless grace.
The beautiful gifts,
the blessed routines,
“ordinary means”:
there we find Your grace.

[Verse 2]
As cool waters over me flowed,
life-giving grace made me new.
Your body, Your blood, gifts bestowed,
draws us, Your bride, in to You.

[Verse 3]
Together with the saints I come,
share prayer, sweet fellowship.
Your grace knits Your body as one;
in unity, we worship.

[Chorus]
We receive them in
the ordinary,
Your daily mercy
and Your endless grace.
The beautiful gifts,
the blessed routines,
“ordinary means”:
there we find Your grace.

[Verse 4]
As I gladly serve Your Body
with my modest offering,
Your grace is pouring into me,
and it's I who's receiving.

[Verse 5]
Through Your faithful teachers, preachers,
countless graces I'm given.
Understanding of Your scriptures,
make You more deeply known.

[Bridge]
And we do, we eagerly pursue
the extraordinary.
But we're happy to glory
in the ordinary.
That's where we find You.

[Chorus]
We receive them in
the ordinary,
Your daily mercy
and Your endless grace.
The beautiful gifts,
the blessed routines,
“ordinary means”:
there we see Your face.

recording on Suno

Old Order Disappeared

Old Order Disappeared
Warwick Allen
Wednesday, 12 March 2025

they're all around
swamping you
strangling you
dragging you down

they bite and tear
flesh and skin
leaving you thin
tempting your fear

but I float on by
observing
immune
how?

they will take you
if you allow
you don't cower
they will lose

and you fight
and won't succumb
you will overcome
there'll be light

and here I am
supporting
somehow
how?

every tear He'll wipe
pain will be no more
the old order disappeared
we'll live in His light

you can do
all things through
Him who gives
you strength

and there He is
sustaining
in His
love

recording on Suno

Analysis of Old Order Disappeared

“Old Order Disappeared” is a compelling piece that navigates the tension between observed suffering and transcendent hope, ultimately resolving in explicitly Christian eschatological vision.

Structure and Voice as Ministerial Act

The poem employs a distinctive dual perspective that takes on particular significance when read as supportive address. The opening stanzas establish an unnamed “they” as a threatening collective force, described through visceral imagery of violence: “bite and tear / flesh and skin.” This creates an almost predatory atmosphere reminiscent of Psalm 22’s imagery of enemies as “dogs” and “lions,” but functions here not merely as poetic device but as validation of the addressee’s experience of affliction. What proves particularly poignant is the speaker’s initial positioning as detached observer—“I float on by / observing / immune”—followed by the vulnerable question “how?”

This confession of bewilderment transforms what might appear as callous detachment into honest acknowledgement of the mystery of differential suffering. The repetition of “how?” later in the poem creates a structural echo that binds together questions of both immunity and sustenance, suggesting the speaker’s movement from puzzled observer to committed supporter.

Biblical Intertextuality as Consolatory Resource

The poem’s most explicit biblical resonance appears in the penultimate stanza, which draws directly from Revelation 21:4: “every tear He’ll wipe / pain will be no more / the old order disappeared.” Read as supportive address, this passage functions not as abstract theological statement but as concrete promise offered to one presently afflicted. The poet transforms the biblical text’s word order (“God will wipe away every tear”) through inversion and contraction (“every tear He’ll wipe”), creating immediacy within prophetic vision that serves pastoral rather than merely literary purposes.

The closing reference to Philippians 4:13—“you can do / all things through / Him who gives / you strength”—takes on the character of gentle exhortation rather than triumphalist declaration, its enjambment softening what might otherwise read as aggressive certainty into tender encouragement.

Theological Implications as Pastoral Theology

The poem’s theological sophistication lies in its refusal to minimise suffering whilst maintaining Christian hope. The speaker doesn’t deny the reality of the loved one’s affliction—the “they” who “swamp,” “strangle,” and “drag down”—but rather positions transcendence as both mystery (“how?”) and available resource (“in His / love”). This creates what one might term a “theology of accompaniment”—the speaker moves from bewildered observation to committed support, reminiscent of the incarnational movement whereby divine love enters human suffering without removing its reality but transforming its meaning.

Literary Technique as Pastoral Method

The poem’s strength as consolatory literature lies in its restraint. The short lines and simple diction avoid the pitfalls of religious consolation that can become platitudinous or dismissive of genuine pain. The repetition of “how?” functions as shared wonder rather than demanded explanation—a sophisticated pastoral positioning that acknowledges mystery without claiming false understanding. The progression from second person (“you”) to first person (“I”) to divine third person (“He”) creates a movement from acknowledged suffering through human solidarity to divine resource, mapping the pastoral journey from empathy to hope.

Critical Assessment as Devotional Literature

Whilst the poem successfully integrates biblical promise with present suffering, one might question whether the resolution addresses the full complexity of sustained affliction. However, read as occasional verse written for pastoral purposes, such concerns may miss the point. The “old order disappeared” functions not as theological argument but as vision offered to one who needs hope more than explanation. The work succeeds in creating what one could call “pastoral modernism”—maintaining contemporary poetic sensibilities whilst drawing upon traditional consolatory resources, achieving that delicate balance between honesty about suffering and confidence in divine care that marks effective spiritual counsel.

In conclusion, “Old Order Disappeared” demonstrates how biblical vision can serve contemporary pastoral care through verse, offering not theological resolution but companionship in suffering and gentle direction towards transcendent hope. As occasional poetry written in love, it succeeds in its primary purpose: to offer comfort whilst acknowledging the genuine mystery of differential suffering.

Anthem of the Redeemed

Anthem of the Redeemed
Warwick Allen
Wednesday, 12 March 2025

[Verse 1]
From every nation, tribe, and tongue,
A multitude in white has come,
Before the throne, their voices ring,
To God and Lamb, their praise they bring.
Sealed by grace, the chosen stand,
Marked by heaven's holy hand,
Through tribulation's darkened tide,
They rise to glory at His side.

[Chorus]
Glory to our God on high,
To Him who reigns over earth and sky,
And to the Lamb who once was slain,
Forevermore we sing His name!
Amen, amen, the anthem swells,
Blessing and power where glory dwells,
Deepest praise, thanks and honour,
Unto our God, Yeshua

[Verse 2]
The angels bow, the elders fall,
A mighty chorus fills the hall,
The One who sits upon the throne,
Has called His own to their home.
No hunger now, no thirst to bear,
Their God will dry their every tear,
By living springs of joy they stand,
In the majesty of the Lamb.

[Chorus]
Glory to our God on high,
To Him who reigns over earth and sky,
And to the Lamb who once was slain,
Forevermore we sing His name!
Amen, amen, the anthem swells,
Blessing and power where glory dwells,
Deepest praise, thanks and honour,
Unto our God, Yeshua

[Verse 3]
Twelve times twelve, the thousands called,
A righteous host with Him will rule,
Clothed in robes of purest light,
Washed in blood, made clean and bright.
Day and night, their song ascends,
A praise that never, never ends,
For He who created with His breath,
Has conquered sin and vanquished death.

[Chorus]
Glory to our God on high,
To Him who reigns over earth and sky,
And to the Lamb who once was slain,
Forevermore we sing His name!
Amen, amen, the anthem swells,
Blessing and power where glory dwells,
Deepest praise, thanks and honour,
Unto our God, Yeshua

[Verse 4]
The bright Morning Star is coming,
His just reward, He is bringing.
Blessed are those who've washed their robe,
Through the city gate they may go,
And they have been given the right
To eat fruit of the tree of life.
And the Spirit and bride invite
To drink of the water of life.

[Chorus]
Glory to our God on high,
To Him who reigns over earth and sky,
And to the Lamb who once was slain,
Forevermore we sing His name!
Amen, amen, the anthem swells,
Blessing and power where glory dwells,
Deepest praise, thanks and honour,
Unto our God, Yeshua

[Outro]
Forevermore, the throne we see,
The Lamb, our Shepherd, sets us free,
With every voice, we join in praise,
Glory and honour to the Endless of Days!

recording on Suno

Disclaimer

Some lyrics have been generated by AI. The concept, themes and narrative arc are my own; AI just helped with some word smithing.

Hide AI-generated content.

Tear-Stained Sod

Tear-Stained Sod
Warwick Allen
Saturday, 1 March 2025

[Verse 1]
Oh Lord, You laid the earth in motion,
Spoke the stars to light the sky.
The wind sings endless admiration,
And the mountains testify.
I walked in dust, my heart was broken,
Lost my all beneath Your gaze,
Yet still Your voice, it softly spoken,
Guided me through the shadowed days.

[Chorus]
Great are You, God, in the storm and the flame,
Goodness flows from Your unequalled name.
I lift my eyes from the tear-stained sod,
And sing of the greatness of my God.

[Verse 2]
You let the tempest tear my shelter,
Stripped my hands of fleeting gold,
But in the silence, I felt Your splendour,
A wealth that cannot be stole'.
Your knowledge boundless, wisdom greater,
Beyond what mortal minds can know.
In every trial, I stand and wonder,
At the mercy You still show.

[Chorus]
Great are You, God, in the storm and the flame,
Goodness flows from Your unequalled name.
I lift my eyes from the tear-stained sod,
And sing of the greatness of my God.

[Bridge]
Who am I to question Your purpose?
I'm dust beneath Your boundless flame,
You hold the dawn, the dusk, the cosmos,
And call me gently by my name.
From ashes, Lord, You lift my soul,
Your love remains, it makes me whole.

[Chorus]
Great are You, God, in the storm and the flame,
Goodness flows from Your unequalled name.
I lift my eyes from the tear-stained sod,
And sing of the greatness of my God.

[Outro]
So here I stand, though scarred and humbled,
Before Your throne, my spirit free,
The world may shake, the proud may stumble,
But Your grace is all I see.
Oh Lord of all, of dust and glory,
Forever Yours, my song will be.

recording on Suno

Disclaimer

Some lyrics have been generated by AI. The concept, themes and narrative arc are my own; AI just helped with some word smithing.

Simplicity's Virtue

Simplicity's Virtue
Warwick Allen
Tuesday, 3 December 2024

never thought I could
never thought I would
'o no no no n' no no no
it's not what you said
just some old bones
rattling in my head

so I journey
never through the heart
can't you see
that is where
the trouble starts

got out of control
got to take a hold
'o so so so s' so so so
just ashes and dust
trying on my own
thought that I must

so I wander
never through the heart
stop and ponder
that is where
the trouble starts

got to reach you
got to run from you
got to reach you
tearing me in two

simplicity's virtue
such I teach you
'ou you you you y' you you you
it's all I got
but it's a lot

so I travel (got to reach you)
never through the heart (got to run from you)
can't you tell
that is where
the trouble starts (tearing me in two)

recording on Suno

Dimly-Lit Path

Dimly-Lit Path
Warwick Allen
Tuesday, 1 February 2022

Eggshells narrowly escape
feet awkwardly crash between
And the load shouldered
precious, fragile, teetering

New terrain, strangely familiar
strange turns
through pit holes and trenches
gradually climbing

A torch for the feet
a necessary comfort
The direction unknown
just press on up

The terrain is rugged
But the load shouldered
precious, fragile, balanced
Is not shouldered alone

recording on Suno

Minstrel of Summer

Minstrel of Summer
Warwick Allen
Saturday, 3 March 2018

How wonderful to listen
To that minstrel of summer
What sweeter sound to bask in
Than the song of the cicada?

Never-failing evangelist
Faithful herald of the sun
“Foul weather is banquished”
Announces cicada's hum

Don't go quiet on me
Keep singing little friend
Keep humming in your tree
Don't let the summer end

recording on Suno