Come to the water

The water, it dances, it gurgles and flows,

it sings alleluia, new life it bestows.

It sweeps over rapids, around unseen bends,

to vistas surprising and landscapes of friends.

This river, it eddies, it catches us all

in long graceful turnings; love’s generous swirl.

This water lives deeply, our thirst, it is quenched;

our bodies are freshened, our souls they are cleansed.

The Spirit is given, she hovers and cries

delights in the dreamings and aches with the sighs.

Surrender to the water, and hear Jesus' call

to be a disciple, and a servant to all.

Some are wrinkled from birth, some are wrinkled with age;

Hey, come to the water; whatever your page!

Drink freely, my sister, my brother, my friend;

drink deep from the fountain, of grace without end.

The water is justice, the water is peace;

it saturates living, its strivings won’t cease

Let none withhold water, the Spirit commands;

unite in one body and fulfil love's demands.

© 2016 Ken Rookes

Can be sung to the tune St Denio,

Together in Song 143, AHB 80

I have reworked this from an older poem/song. The original was suited to an actual baptism, this has a more general use, such as for the Baptism of Jesus, this coming Sunday. I think it has been markedly improved.