A hymn for the fifth Sunday of Easter – ‘God's commandments link together’
1 God's commandments link together
justice, mercy, love and grace;
elements to guide the framing
of our laws within this place.
Yet the laws and legal judgments
that we form through human thought,
all too easily diminish
values that the Christ had sought.
2 As we follow in his footsteps
as disciples, let us find,
ways to live in peace together,
ways that bring God's grace to mind;
ways of gracious peaceful living,
that might spread throughout the earth,
ways of God's audacious giving:
let the spirit find new birth.
Andrew E Pratt.
Words © 2015 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 D
Tune: BETHANY
Category: Song
Earth day hymn
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by Earthday.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
The following hymn, previously blogged, was written in response to a Seminar given by Dr Michael Morecroft, Principal Climate Scientist, Natural England
Called to be partners with God in creation,
stewards of the biosphere, what can we do?
How can we work with the land as it’s changing,
working more flexibly, alter our view.
Here with a climate that’s moving, evolving,
summers are drier, but winters more wet,
storm, drought and flood, matched with wildfire, erosion,
raising the question how great is our debt?
Help us to learn how to live with each species,
neighbours to share with our planetary store.
Earth has a cycle, a sensitive balance,
ours to care fairly, destroy or restore.
God infuse learning, respect for creation,
give us humility, channel your grace;
all earth’s resources are precious, yet finite,
help us to value all life in this place.
Andrew Pratt 12/5/2021
Words © 2021 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(Ruddle); EPIPHANY HYMN; SPEAN
Hymn: It seemed as though the Lord lived still
It seemed as if the Lord lived still
It seemed as if the Lord lived still,
expressed his will, the lame could walk,
and all assumed the blind would see,
the silent ones would start to talk!
Yet all they saw when looking round,
were Galilean fisher folk,
a zealot and some other men,
some hazarded it was a joke.
So Peter had to put them right,
the crucified, the buried dead,
the very Christ, their God was raised,
yet now they acted in God’s stead.
And everywhere the spirit blows
the living Christ and God’s own grace
is manifest by human means
in every later time and space.
Plain ignorance and human zeal,
had nailed their God, had knocked love down,
but that could never be the end,
and love still lived to wear the crown.
So everywhere God’s people meet
through prayer and action God is there,
and even in this time and place
our lives can tend and bring God’s care.
Andrew Pratt 17/3/2012
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
Tune: BEFORE THE THRONE StF 717
Metre: DLM
Peter Higgs of Higg’S Bosun fame has died. In remembrance of…
Thank you to Alan in Belfast
An ill found peace – Jesus meets the disciples
An ill found peace disturbed the quiet
the room was locked and shuttered.
The Christ himself had now appeared,
a wind-blown candle guttered.
His words, a knife, cut through their fear,
anticipation shaken,
no more condemned, a word of peace,
was quietly, surely spoken.
Yet fear and doubt conspired to foil
what joy might sweep a nation,
such peace as might spread through the world
to shatter consternation.
And so he breathed those words again,
that peace might sign acceptance
of those who had denied their Lord
and now feared his rejection.
The sign he gave, he loved them still,
a lasting affirmation,
that those who loved would do his will,
until love's consummation.
Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2015 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: DOMINUS REGIT ME
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