Lent: Day One

I looked for God, and found Him in the church:
The church, which is His body, He the head.
We come together, take the wine and bread—
Christ's blood and body, hanging on the birch.
Of course! you say, of course we find God here,
Where Bible's read and hymns are played and sung.
But often, though we say it with our tongue,
We fail to see that God is really near.
On this Ash Wednesday, thinking on repentance,
I realize that my God has come to earth
And saved us, rising from a humble birth
To die, and thus to obviate our sentence.
And not just then, but present everywhere:
For God remains, and we are in His care.