If you have been at m2o for a few years or ever been to a New Wine event, then you have almost certainly sung Neil Bennett's 'O perfect love' at some point. I attach a link to a YouTube recording of it below.
O perfect love, forever I shall sing
Of heaven's gates flung wide for me.
Where fear of death and tears of
hopelessness
Are swallowed up in victory.
And what praise shall be sung
Still to the Holy One;
To the Saviour, Redeemer and King.
O perfect love,
My song will ever be:
'I am found in Jesus.'
I have always enjoyed singing this great anthem of worship, but it was given a new dimension for me when I read about why Neil wrote it. There is a hospice for terminally ill children in Hampshire called Naomi House. Neil's mum had worked there and he was asked to write a worship song for their tenth anniversary service in Winchester Cathedral. He said yes, and then thought "how do I do this?". It is a challenge for a worship leader to write a song about the love of God to be sung by children who may only have a short time left, and their parents who are watching their children's life ebb away. Neil took his inspiration from Revelation 21 and came up with 'O Perfect love'.
As Neil points out, it is ironic that a piece of scripture that talks about God wiping away our tears should so often move us to tears. Singing 'O perfect love' has a similar effect on me to reading Revelation 21. However, tears in worship are fine because worship is not only about praising God, it is also about the being in and celebrating the reality of God's love. Of heaven's gates flung wide for me….
Pray with me…
Father, as I walk through today, please let the words that I have sung in worship marinade in my soul so that I can live in the reality of your love for me.
John Martin-Jones
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