Author: Andrew Pratt

Andrew Pratt was born in Paignton, Devon, England in 1948.

John the Baptist – a hymn

Related to Luke 3:7-18 – John the Baptist – The Third Sunday in Advent

1	This is the Baptist, unkempt and yet ready, 	
	calling the people to listen and act; 
	calling them down to the water for washing,
	talking of holiness, Godliness, fact.
	
2	This is the man who will call to repentance
	fisherman, Pharisee, zealot and priest; 
	here in the river the sinners will gather, 
	taking God's blessing and sharing God's peace.
		
3	This is the prophet announcing the crisis, 
	moment for turning for challenge and choice;
	quenching of hatred, demanding repentance, 
	giving a reason to praise and rejoice.
	
4	This is the man, in humility pointing 
	others to one who would soon take his place.
	Jesus is coming, the Spirit confirming, 
	this is my Son who will channel my grace.
	
5	Up from the waters the Christ is arising,
	up from our slumbering we will rise too;
	waking to love and to work every dawning, 
	each a disciple with Christ's work to do.

Andrew Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2009 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England copyright@stainer.co.uk . Please include any reproduction for local church use on your CCL Licence returns. All wider and any commercial use requires prior application to Stainer & Bell Ltd
Metre: 11 10 11 10
Tune: STEWARDSHIP

New progressive Christian titles worth reading

I have been made aware, by friends in Australia and the USA, of two books which may be of interest; please click below for more information:

Abundant Lives: A Progressive Christian Ethic of Flourishing. Pilgrim Press by Amanda Udis-Kessler

In Wisdom and in Passion: Comparing and Contrasting Buddha and Christ by John Queripel     

As we tread this Advent pathway – new poem/hymn

Travelling through Advent, a poem or, if you wish to sing, a hymn

As we tread this advent pathway – a reflective poem

As we tread this advent pathway 
stepping through this mystery, 
wonder fills each human heartbeat, 
carves new ways through history.
Others walked this way before us, 
in a different time and space, 
spoke a language foreign, distant, 
delving deeply through God's grace.

Now within imagination 
art and science visualise 
things beyond our comprehension, 
truths we've yet to realise.
Here all language strains and fractures,   
struggles to describe, inform 
what our senses lay before us, 
fail to offer shape and form.

Yet, in faith, while frail, we fumble 
reaching through the mists of time, 
finding still, within this season,
cosmic love, incarnate rhyme.


As we tread this advent pathway – an Advent hymn

As we tread this advent pathway 
stepping through this mystery, 
wonder fills each human heartbeat, 
carves new ways through history.

Others walked this way before us, 
in a different time and space, 
spoke a language foreign, distant, 
delving deeply through God's grace.

Now within imagination 
art and science visualise 
things beyond our comprehension, 
truths we've yet to realise.

Here all language strains and fractures,   
struggles to describe, inform 
what our senses lay before us, 
fail to offer shape and form.

Yet, in faith, while frail, we fumble 
reaching through the mists of time, 
finding still, within this season,
cosmic love, incarnate rhyme.
Andrew E Pratt 30/11/2024
Words © 2024 © Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England copyright@stainer.co.uk . Please include any reproduction for local church use on your CCL Licence returns. All wider and any commercial use requires prior application to Stainer & Bell Ltd.
Metre: 8.7.8.7
Tunes: CHAPEL BRAE; SHIPSTON; STUTTGART

Notes on Hymn Copyright

Notes on Copyright

Why copyright hymns?

There is an argument which says that if you write hymns for the church they should be freely available. In principle I have no problem with that at all. But…

All of my hymns are in copyright. So why?

  1. The main reason for copyright is to prevent others altering what you write? Say you have a hymn of praise to Jesus. How would you feel if it was altered to praise to Satan? – with your name attached…
  2. Alteration can be major or minor. At the very least you can ask people not to alter your text without permission, or publish, or use your writing, or music,  in contexts of  which you would not approve, or want to be associated with.
  3. You may, over time, alter your words and not want previous versions to be used. Again, you have control.

Levels of copyright

  1. Your copyright can say ‘may be used freely’ or ‘used freely with permission’.
  2. It can say ‘may be used freely in particular contexts’ – eg., church – but that wider or commercial use requires permission.
  3. A few authors rely on royalties for their living. Copyright and fees become intrinsic. Even then items may be free in certain settings. All of my texts are copyright but I certainly don’t make a living from writing. Many of my texts have been used by, or commissioned by, charities. You can choose whether particular use is allowed or requires a charge.
  4. Even when a charge is taken you can decide whether a royalty is then donated by you to charity.
  5. Today many hymns that are in copyright are licenced for church or education use through Christin Copyright Licencing (CCL) or other licensing bodies.

Types of copyright

  1. Personal copyright. You set the wording. You administer anything to do with he copyright. You retain all benefits in the copyright. On your death benefits would usually revert to your Executor, or whomsoever you designate in your will.
  2. Copyright held by another. In this instance, with a reputable company, you will be consulted on use of the item that diverges from anything you have agreed with the administrator/owner.  You will have a legal contract defining your rights and expectations together with those of the owner.

The benefits here may seem minimal, but can sometimes be substantial. I have a large number of hymns. My copyright holder deals with requests for use, changes of wording (in consultation with me), legal questions (rare, but could include allegations of accidental plagiarism for example), receiving royalites when texts, or music, are used and paying royalties to me, less an agreed proportion which is theirs. The copyright holder is responsible for safe retention of my material. In addition my copyright holder has promoted and published my hymns in ways that I never could have done on my own. On my death my hymns remain available and secure.

© Andrew Pratt 26/11/2024