Presentation – Kate Bluett

And suddenly there will come to the temple
   the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
   Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
   And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner’s fire,
   or like the fuller’s lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
   and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
   that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
—Malachi 3:1-4

O come, refiner's fire;
now to your temple come
and with your fullness purify
our hands, our hearts, our tongues.

Like one who works in gold
and burns the dross away,
refine our senses to behold
your ever bright'ning day.

Yet we are fragile things
and cannot bear your heat:
Come as a spark, an infant gleam,
your heart with ours to beat,

to grow as we all grow
and show us day by day
the endless stream of light that flows
into your glory's blaze,

that we may learn to bear
the light and heat of truth,
to cast out fear and come to dare
to nearer draw to you.

Then, Lord, we shall endure
your bright eternal flame,
when love and mercy make us pure—
It was for this you came.