Andrew Pratt

The mingled tears of memory – for now in Florida while remembering Katrina

1 The mingled tears of memory,

of present grief and fear,

reminders for humanity

that death is always near.

2 The hurricane, the tidal wave,

the terrorist attack,

that fracture faith, unsettle hope,

can cause belief to crack.

3 For where is God? And what is love

within this finite frame,

where life is trampled underfoot,

destroyed by winds that maim?

4 Can God be found in broken lives.

where chaos seems to rule?

Forsaken on a cross Christ hung,

made wisdom look a fool.

5 His broken hands reach out to heal,

through human hands today;

compassion sees the need for love

and God still makes a way.

6 And so amid these mingled tears

we cling to those who care,

and in the silence come to feel

the love of God is there.

Andrew E. Pratt (born 1948) 2005 Stainer and Bell Ltd.

Come follow me – hymn inspired by Mark 10: 17-31

Come follow me – inspired by Mark 10:17-31

1	'Come follow me, come follow fast, 
	and leave the rest behind, 
	reach after realms of mystery, 
	yes, seek, and you will find'.
	What holds us in this human realm? 
	What treasures keep us back
	from giving all we have and are? 
	This confidence we lack!
	
2	The call had seemed impossible, 
	the problem was his wealth.         
	And we deflect the word of God
	avoiding it by stealth.
	Our legs are heavy, steps are slow, 
	it seems we cannot move. 
	The call to trusting seems absurd, 
	in things we cannot prove.
	
3	And so we stay with what is sure, 
	we cling to what is known,
	and through our fear we lose our grip 
	on treasure we might own.
	Then like that man we walk away, 
	each with a heavy heart, 
	or turn to follow in the way, 
	to make a brand new start.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2012 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: DCM
Tune: KINGSFOLD

Toward the sunset?

Toward the sunset? Copyright Andrew Pratt 2024

A hymn published in 1997 still pertinent in a world torn by war and carnage – with tune by John Kleinheksel

Lives like yours and mine, contorted – as we live in a world contorted by war and hatred, during a week remembering Hamas action of 7th October 2023 and living with Israel’s response, together with war and carnage in so many places on our planet.

1 Lives like yours and mine, contorted:
Genocide has been reported,
Wrong seems right, it's all distorted;
Christ! What would you do?

2 Seeing babies starving, bleeding,
Hearing mothers' desperate pleading,
Would you wring your hands, unheeding?
Christ! What would you do?

3 Watching buildings ruined, burning,
Hearing tank tracks rumble, churning,
Would you walk on by, not turning?
Christ! What would you do?

4 Sensing fear that chills the city,
Families threatened without pity,
Would you pray your prayers, so pretty?
Christ! What would you do?

5 We have seen it, all the sorrow,
We will see the same tomorrow,
Must this pattern always follow?
Christ! What should we do?

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 1997 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. Originally published in Blinded by the Dazzle https://stainer.co.uk/shop/b840/
Metre: 8 8 8 5
Tune: THERE’S NO GREATER NAME THAN JESUS (Complete Mission Praise)

John R. Kleinheksel Sr has composed the following tune which may be used with acknowledgement.
This tune is now to be acknowledged as Copyright Stainer & Bell Ltd address as for the text.
An audio file of the tune is at the link below.

Extravagant horror – a world at war with itself

Extravagant horror, beyond our conceiving,

the rain of this terror confounds our believing,

the thunder, war’s lightning, once deaf’ning, then blinding,

has sculpt human madness, to hell we are sliding.

Humanity harbours such hidden aggression,

the need to reap vengeance to counter oppression,

the screams of the innocent, tears of depression,

white noise of the agony, warfare’s obsession.

And now hope is lost, there is no compensation,

no sense of relief for each people, each nation,

some milit’ry folk will admire each citation

while leaving the children in wild conflagration.