One of the most precious worship songs to our praying community over the last year has been Chris McClarney and Brenton Brown’s Beauty for ashes. The lyrics are simply stunning as they stand and have spoken deeply to many of us individually in our journeys with God. And the song has become almost the title song we associate with our fledgling ‘worship busking’ ministry sparrowsong. But today in worship this song, with slightly amended pronouns and tense, came to mind to use as a prayer to sing over Syria on the five year anniversary of the start of its conflict. Would you join us in raising your voice with this song?
This is how we adapted the words this morning:
God of the new beginnings, God of the second chance,
Your grace an endless river, your love an avalanche,
There in our darkest moments, all hope burnt to the ground,
That’s when your mercy finds us, that’s when your love comes down.
You turn our mourning into dancing,
You turn our sorrow into praise.
You give us beauty for ashes, beauty for ashes,
You give us beauty for ashes, beauty for ashes.
Oh please give them beauty for ashes, beauty for ashes,
Please give them beauty for ashes, beauty for ashes.
Love meet them in the ruins of all their past mistakes,
Love walk them to the river, love break apart these chains,
Love speak a new tomorrow, open their eyes to see,
Love wash away this sadness, love come and rescue them.
Come turn their mourning into dancing,
Come turn their sorrow into praise.
Oh please give them beauty for ashes, beauty for ashes,
Please give them beauty for ashes, beauty for ashes.
(Original words and music by Chris McClarney and Brenton Brown, CCLI 7040551 copyright Thankyou Music – new words adapted slightly in tense and pronouns to apply today only to pray for Syria by the Sanctuary and not to be recorded or reproduced without permission from the copyright owners of the song.)