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
Category: Poems
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
God’s words have such a weight – a hymn inspired by John 1
1 God’s words have such a weight
that read, or heard or thought,
we sense an emphasis of love.
And such a love Christ brought.
2 The Word became a man
that human eyes could see,
a man who knew the pain of life
as heaven’s refugee.
3 The echo of that Word
has rung from age to age
whenever love has conquered creed
when God had centre stage.
4 And is that Word still heard?
And does the Christ still sing?
When love cuts through our prejudice
yes! yes, God’s word will ring!
Andrew E Pratt
Words © 2003 © 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: SM
Tunes: CARLISLE; FRANCONIA
Where the jackals scratch a living – hymn – prepare the way of the LORD
Isaiah 40:3 A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God”.
1 Where the jackals scratch a living,
in this wild, deserted place,
springs will bring refreshing water,
grass and reeds will sign God's grace.
2 Here our God will build a highway
striding out across the land,
bringing hope to what was barren,
once again the people stand.
3 Once again a smile is dawning
on the face of every man,
all the children play together,
women talk, it's time to plan.
4 As we tell, recount the story,
in this present time and place,
may we build in recollection,
room for hope and gracious space;
5 Space where God can offer comfort
through our human words and lives,
love that shows in every instance
faith can live and hope survives.
© 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
If he had come – a poem for Advent and Christmas by Marjorie Dobson
If he had come …
If he had come as a king with a robe and jewels
and a crown of gold,
he would have been impressive.
But there would have been those
who envied him his wealth,
tried to steal his jewels,
or attempted to rob him of his crown.
If he had come with a sword and shield
and a following army,
he would have demanded obedience.
But there would have been those
who feared his sword,
claimed he was hiding behind his shield,
or accused him of using military force to conquer them.
If he had come as a priest with elaborate vestments,
sanctimonious speeches and zealous religious rituals,
he would have commanded respect.
But there would have been those
who found his vestments ostentatious,
suspected him of hypocrisy in his speeches,
or felt unable to live up to
the impossible regulation of his religion.
So, when Jesus came as a vulnerable baby,
grew up in a carpenter’s workshop
and walked around in everyday clothes,
meeting and talking to people about God,
it really was a revelation.
Jesus brought no threat of wealth, or force of might,
or blocking of the pathway to God.
He was a man and of the people
and though his robe was stained with blood,
his crown made of thorns
and his death an ignominious execution,
the power of his life has everlasting authority.
Marjorie Dobson © Stainer & Bell Ltd published in Unravelling the Mysteries
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