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Holy Innocents Hymn – sadly still pertinent?

Holy Innocents – 28th December



1	Herod waiting, Herod watching, 
	Herod grasping, holding power, 
	Herod fearful for the future, 
	Herod counting every hour.

2	Now the thing that he was fearing:
	love and justice, peace and health
	here embodied in a person, 
	God incarnate, heaven's wealth.

3	This was more than he could stomach, 
	human wine skins tear and rend.
	Herod's dream had been confounded, 
	human power had met its end.

4	Many children now were crying,
	temper triumphed, babies dead
	Mary, Joseph made an exit,
	every step was filled with dread. 

5	Into exile they were driven, 
	fear would ripple through each life:
	Jesus challenged vested interests.
	Gracious love fuelled hate and strife.

6	And the children still are crying, 
	forced to war and harmed by hate.
	Still our world is deaf to hear them, 
	still our loving comes too late.

Andrew Pratt  Words © 2010 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 Tune: ALL FOR JESUS





Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Hymns


CHRISTMAS DAY

1	Almighty God has done great things,

	an angel proffers stunning news,

	the news of human hope he brings,

	her baby heaven and earth shall fuse;

	and she will give her life for that,

	O, Mary, sing magnificat.



2	A mother and her unborn child,

	a man who ought to let her go

	to save his face, stay undefiled,

	as love and duty taunt and flow;

	and Joseph will consider that

	as Mary sings magnificat.



3	And all the greatness of a God,

	distilled to love, sets captives free,

	a single liberating Word:

	those born in darkness now can see;

	as human power considers that

	let Mary sing magnificat.



Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)

Words © 2001 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, http://www.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 8 8 8 8 8 Tune: MELITA 



                   Incarnation © Andrew Pratt



CHRISTMAS DAY


1	We see the eyes of Mary shine,
	for all the pain of birth is past.
	She cradles Jesus in her arms,
	her time of joy is here at last.

2	We look on Joseph's roughened hands,
	his eyes are filled with tender joy
	he gently reaches for the child, 
	this little scrap, this baby boy.
	
3	And can they know? And could they guess 
	at love's responsibility, 
	that hurt would mingle with the joy 
	of human possibility?

4	But on this night a single star 
	is just enough to signal grace: 
	a child is born in Bethlehe
	and offered for the human race. 


Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Singing the Faith 219
Words © 2008 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, http://www.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: LM Tune: TRURO