Category: Uncategorized

Look! The love that was unspoken

Look! the love that was unspoken

Look! the love that was unspoken
shines with colour, power and light,
love that never can be broken 
forging justice, putting right.
Here we live in grace and wonder owning God’s diversity.

Praising shards of light that glisten 
with the truth that sets us free, 
multitudes clasp hands of friendship,
all who claim humanity:
nothing can divert our purpose, one in our diversity.

All our art and music woven 
with divinity and grace 
has its origin, incarnate,
born within our human race,
disagreement cannot break our Spirit of diversity.

So the future opens for us:
galaxies beyond our glance, 
bound forever to each other,
held by more than cosmic chance.
Nothing now will fault our spirit: CELEBRATE DIVERSITY!!!

Words © 2025 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: 87 87 87
Tune: WESTMINSTER ABBEY; RHUDDLAN
Words commissioned to celebrate PRIDE

Good God what are we doing? – a hymn in a time of war and remembrance of Hiroshima

Good God what are we doing? – a hymn in a time of war and remembrance of Hiroshima

Good God what are we doing 
upon this harrowed earth, 
with children  starved, or banished, 
a hell has to come to birth?
And even now the mid-wives
see nurtured babies die, 
while politicians hunker
and hide behind a lie.

If God is good the image 
that we uphold and bear 
is marred beyond cognition, 
humanity lacks care. 
A spark of holy presence   
becomes a fading shard
while hopeful grace is damaged,
love’s clarity is barred.

Good God forgive indifference 
that lets our children die, 
raise up again a spirit 
of grace beyond a sigh, 
until we cradle babies 
and nurture them with love, 
until war’s hawks are banished, 
peace settling like dove.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2026 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: 7.6.7.6 D
Tune: PASSION CHORALE

Choices…part of a previous post on loyalty…

In every choice, every decision, every vote if we see ourselves as Christians we will ask, does this choice, this decision, enhance or diminish the way those affected by it are LOVED. They may well be vulnerable with less wealth or power than ourselves.YOUR CHOICE…AND MINE…EVERY TIME…don’t point the finger, don’t blame the other person, the other party, the other side… YOUR CHOICE…AND MINE…EVERY TIME…but lets us prioritise LOVE.

I stroll along the forest paths – Pentecost goes on…

I stroll along the forest paths – hymn for 21st June – life in the Spirit!

I stroll along the forest paths, I ride upon the wind.
	I sail across the ocean waves, or feast on tamarind,
	but all the wealth and wonder here is empty, pale and trite
	against the vibrant colours of your spirit’s flaming light.

Your spirit turns me round again when I'm against the wall.
	Your spirit lifts me up again, you will not let me fall.
	And when I lie asleep at night, in incandescent streams
	your love cascades around my life, the goal of all my dreams.

I cast my life into that love, ignited by its flame.
	Since meeting you each day I live can never be the same.
	In concert and in harmony our lives will merge as one,
	in singing, dancing joy until the setting of the sun.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
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: 14 14 14 14
Tune: THE LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER

Love’s debt

13: 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

1	Love's debt to each and all we owe, 
	to those who brought us to this day, 
	and how can we return this love? 
	In things we do? In words we say?

2	Some debts seem more than we can bear, 
	to brother, sister, parent, child; 
	for while we give and give again, 
	our love is weak, our sense beguiled.

3	O God where is the purest love, 
	that does not seek for pride or wealth? 
	God give to me, that I might share,
	the love that seeks another's health.

4	God help me love as you love me 
	with selfless, unremitting care. 
	And when I look to those around 
	to see the face of Christ is there.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
© 2014 Stainer and 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: LM
Tune: RIVAULX (StF 735)