Passion for the putrid,
Penchant for the profane;
Thirsting, lusting after that
Which falsely claims it is gain.
Vile, but unreviled,
Received with open arms;
We fill our cup
And drink it up,
Consuming worldly charms.

Passion for the putrid,
Penchant for the profane;
Loving undeserving ones,
Whose lives He ought disdain.
Vile, but unreviled,
Received with open arms;
He fills our cup
And lifts us up,
Replacing worldy harm...
He claims us as His own!


A.D.W.

I rest in a refuge...
Of precious stone, built;
Grouted in love
Through precious blood spilt.
The walls that surround
Have no end, have no bound.
No lasting harm
Can find its way over or 'round
The Refuge, the Rock, the Lord
My Refuge, My Rock, My Lord.

I bask in a shelter...
From elements, braced;
Hid from the harmful,
He shields my face
'Til His time is complete
And the work here done,
'Til He deems the time right
And sends me on...
My Refuge, My Rock, My Lord.


A.D.W.

The business of busyness...

Lord, draw us to

That place of rest.

Bowing our hearts,

Lifting our heads,

Calming our lives;

As we still in Your presence,

Your peace floods in,

Cares of this life set aside.


A.D.W.

With endurance,
The race
Set before us,
We run;
Not competing against
But competing as one...
One body, one Spirit
One strength, one Head.
One common goal
Under certain command...
Love one another
As I have loved,
He says...

Love is the need,
And love is the proof;
If you love, you'll obey,
You'll follow My word.
Love born of Me
Is the power to move
And to tell every creature you meet;
Love poured out
Is love poured in,
The strength to run the race
With your brother.


A.D.W.

I pour out my heart
As water before Thee;
I lay out concerns,
My worries and griefs.
In the day of confusion,
I seek Your peace;
In the moment of trouble,
I carry my need
To Your throne.

Ascending prayers
Of precious saints,
From golden bowls,
Before Thee arise;
Mingled prayers
Of the mighty and meek,
Rising with an aroma that's sweet...
We pour out our hearts
Before Thee.

I pour out my heart
As water before Thee;
I lift up the praise of my heart.
My joy and belief
In day of provision,
Upholding my faith,
Sustaining my vision;
In the moment of praise,
I bring adoration...
I lift up my praise
And my gaze
To Your throne.


A.D.W.

A lifeless, listless army,
Or a vibrant, vital part
Of kingdom plan,
At King's command
Moving in strength of heart.

A hopeless, helpless people,
Or strengthened Spirit-moved mass...
In heavenly power,
At heavenly hour,
Taking back the heart of the land!


A.D.W.

Boys of summer...
Bats in hand;
Dusty shoes,
And dusty pants.
Warming days
Of learning plays;
Practiced stance,
Ball smacking the mitt.
Smalltown dreams
Of bigtime fame,
For now, relegated
To children's league.

The boys of summer
Dream their dreams
In the training days
Of early spring;
Tomorrow men,
Today content
To live in the moment
And swing the bat.
The joy of the boys of summer...
Joy in the boys of summer!


A.D.W.

The sorrowing sparrow matters not
To busy passersby;
The sorrowing sparrow
Falls to the ground,
And not a one takes note.
But the child on his way,
Busy about his simple play...
The child stops to see,
Lathering concern for this frailty.
The worthless bird noted;
In childish play,
Compassion and gentleness shown.

Oh, for the dawn of a different day
When grown would see as the young;
When the worthless sparrow would become
Of value to the busy passersby!

A.D.W.

Fount of water,

Spring up in me

To everlasting life;

Fill me,

Flow,

Refresh,

Restore...

Lord, I need to drink

Your living water!


A.D.W.

Travel a road,
But a moment with Me...
Humble entry,
Seeming victory;
Begin to address offense
And concern...
Watch the leaders
Quickly turn.
Infiltrate...
One close betrays,
And sends to sentence
The One who placed
Himself in their hands,
Himself in the hands
Of One greater than they;
In the hands of the only One
Who will redeem this day;
In the hands of One
Who knows all ends,
Who knows the horror,
Who still commands
The events of the horrible day.

The emptiness that followed
For betrayer, did not end;
Drove him beyond regret
For actions he could no longer revoke...
Emptiness leading to death.

The emptiness for followers,
Who scattered to the wind,
Drove them to bitter regret
For actions they could not rescind.
But a filling up is coming,
And the emptiness will end
When faith is built,
Forgiveness got,
Life received
From death's powerless hand...
Belief received from all-powerful One
Emptiness leading to life!

Emptiness for Father,
Loving only Son,
Loving the undeserving,
Allows death to overcome...
But a moment,
A day;
One, two, then three.
Emptiness fullfilling
Master plan for filling up;
A heavenly kingdom
Of undeserving,
Admittance only via the blood
Of the perfect, the passover lamb.
Emptiness leading to death
And to life,
Purpose completed in emptiness' time...
Father filling His house!

Emptiness of the Son,
Who saw all of the plans unveiled;
No reviling, nor defense
As He watched it take place,
No resistance as others
Spat and beat
Upon His mortal self.
Immortal full aware that the end
Would produce
Emptiness leading to death,
Emptiness filling His death,
Emptiness overcoming death,
And giving life as He'd resurrect...

Emptied tomb...
The empty One
Completing salvation's course!
Emptied ones received and won;
One emptied, lost for ever,
But the others drawn home.

Emptied One's glory,
Emptied ones' glory;
Father and Son rejoice!
Death could not hold
The emptied Son,
Could not destroy
The glorious plan.
Emptiness overcome!
Emptiness overcomes!


A.D.W.

Soldiers in a holy war,
Children of a holy Lord;
A battle ground that's bathed in prayer,
The weapon of the warfare there.
Strongholds mighty tumble down...
We know our leader, see His crown
Of power, majesty, might surround
Our hearts and our lives with His love.

Holy war the soldiers wage,
Complacency, the battle's stage;
On the frontlines, sent to meet
Enemy fire as it falls at our feet.
The battle for the peoples' hearts,
Expecting the fire, the rage that it sparks;
In an opponent set on stealing Your all,
Give us the strength to stand as we fall
To our knees.

Damage filtering through the flesh,
Result of weakness, weariness;
Shield of faith lowered just a bit,
The cunning adversary aims and hits...
And they fall to their knees,
As their wounds start to bleed;
Damage sustained
For the stance they've maintained
On the frontlines of the war.

Where is the backup, Lord?
Will they see?
Are we truly behind them,
Or do we watch as they bleed?
Do we come in love to tend the wounds,
Or point and judge for the armor they've failed
To hold completely and totally in place,
Excluding the wounded from running the race?

Lord you are the backup,
You send relief,
You've born the scars
Of the war now waged,
Born these scars for Your children
Willing to stand and believe;
But Lord, do You wonder,
And Lord, do You grieve?
Do You hate the distractions
As the enemy deceives?
Do you tire of the chill
Of complacency?
Do you cry as the wounded wait and bleed,
When a gentle word would surely heal?
Do You weep when Your children
Crush each other's zeal?

Lord, will You touch
And stir the hearts?
Lord, kindle the fire,
And stir the sparks.
Lord, bring Your balm
To soothe and heal;
Give us hearts to receive
As You reveal
The roadblocks in this holy war.
Revive your children,
Lord open the door
That the gates of hell
Would not prevail;
Give us strength to stand in the gap...
And when we fail
Send us Your perfect love
To heal.
In these days, the love of many grows cold...
Lord, Jesus, please, fill us with Your love!

Soldiers in a holy war,
Children of a holy Lord;
A battle ground that's bathed in prayer,
The weapon of the warfare there.
Strongholds mighty tumble down,
We know You, Lord, we see Your crown
Of power, majesty, might surround
Our hearts and our lives with Your love.


                                                             A.D.W.

The weeping of my heart...
On deaf ears,
Has fallen not,
For the echo of my tears
Has reached Your ears;

Lonely cries of pain...
From my heart,
The sad refrain
Has travelled to Your throne,
Received by no other;
You alone
Have heard
The weeping of my heart.

Sanctuary:
Place of help,
Place of hope,
A safety net...
You are my sanctuary.


How many sanctuaries shall I find
Where safety is not found?
Called, but not
That hopeful net,
That place of surrounding love.
Sanctuaries tainted
With ambition and with pride;
Sanctuaries painted
As places of hope,
But the slightest details divide.
Sanctuaries of the insensitive,
Managing ignorant flock?
Sanctuaries of aimlessness,
Message opposed to Sanctuary thought?
Sanctuaries filled with human work,
And humans prone to gloat...
Imperfect fill them,
Father, please heal them,
That those who need healing
Shall be drawn to the spot
That is Your sanctuary.


                                       A.D.W.

A story told
A thousand times over,
In a thousand different ways;
One simple theme,
One essential need
Fulfilled in unusual way.

One humble couple...
Imperfect, but willing
To yield to majesty's plan;
One perfect love,
The prophesied birth,
Babe in a manger
Who would be the perfect man.

In the chill of the night
Incarnation, visitation;
Holy One in helpless form.
Eternal strength...
In humanity, appearing weak.
Eternal One
Experiencing beginning
With an end to come
And overcome!

God drew close...
Curious ones
Retell the miraculous birth.
How many continue
To Calvary's shame?
How many listen on for the glorious day
Of Resurrection's Victory?
How many now live in hope for all time,
Knowing the promised return of the King?
Once in humility,
One day in might...
How many finish the telling
That follows that holy night?
Has He not sent us to tell,
To tell all?!
Has He not charged us to tell?
The story is not yet complete!


                                          A.D.W.

I don't know you from Adam,
But through Adam you are known...
A common father and a common thread,
Woven through time with
A common fate, a common life,
And a common need...
Friendship and fellowship,
Purpose and creed.
Selfish heart
Made a choice...
Was it his, yours, or mine?
When the road is rough,
Hailing back to that curse,
When hearts ache so much,
Each of us learns
More from Adam...
More of Adam...
More of you,
More of me
More of the One
Who will make us free.

I don't know you from Adam,
But another Adam came;
In Him the curse is broken
And life returned.
Forever friendship,
Forever hope,
And in that Adam
I'm commanded to meet
Adams such as you,
Call you on
As we travel along,
Overcoming in Him this cursed world
As His completed work makes us free.


                       A.D.W.

Your glory shines
And I don't see,
Caught in the sway of the world;
Your glory shines
And I'm too blind,
Wandering in this wilderness place.

Draw me close,
Draw me, Lord!
Open my eyes, let the scales fall.
Let worldly weights be loosed...
Draw me close,
Draw me, Lord!
Let Your glory warm my chilly heart.

Your glory's here,
If I would look
And see beyond the sway of this place.
Your glory's here,
And I want more
Than the trashy treasures my surroundings exalt.

Draw me close,
Draw me, Lord!
Open my eyes, let the scales fall.
Let worldly weights be loosed...
Draw me close,
Draw me, Lord!
Let Your glory fill my empty heart.

Your glory's true,
And I should know,
And I long to walk in that glorious place...
Here on this earth,
Walking closer to You,
Able to do my Father's will.

Draw me close,
Draw me Lord!
You're opening eyes that have long been blind.
Drawing me close,
Drawing me, Lord,
Your glory abounds
As You surround
And change this unglorious heart...
Drawing me,
Drawing me,
Changing me daily,
Drawing me daily,
Closer to You.


                            A.D.W.

Kingdom measure
Not my own;
With worldly eyes I weigh
The rights and wrongs
Of other folk
In light of what I see.
The eyes of fire
Which penetrate
And know the motivation of heart
Might differently evaluate
The outcome I have marked
In worldly measure.

Kingdom measure
Marks my life
When I set my heart
On kingdom sights.
His rule to reign
When worldly weight
Gives way to kingdom mark
And measure.

                           A.D.W.

Sometimes I follow
In the footsteps of Peter,
In the footsteps of Judas,
In the footsteps of John;
Sometimes I simply walk my own way,
But wherever I walk, it's never alone.
Even if I'm not following in
Your footsteps,
You'll still be at my side.

I cannot flee,
I cannot hide;
Though I might not hear,
I know You're near!
I cannot flee,
I cannot hide;
I cannot find a
Pit so deep,
So wide
As to keep me from Your reach,
To keep me from Your grasp.
None shall snatch me from Your hand...
I am Yours!

                                  A.D.W.

When I stand
In a day
Where time no longer
Ticks away,
When I kneel
In a place
Where a moment lasts
A thousand days,
When I come
To the side
Of the One who was pierced
And who willingly died...

I shall see,
See so clearly,
No longer as through the
Dimness of this life;
I shall see,
See so fully,
The heart poured out for me.

                          A.D.W.