This is our mother, the source of all being, sharpening starlight, then raising the dawn, singing forth sunshine, then playing with laughter, scattering teardrops, in passion newborn. Mother of oceans, so careful with splendour, ground of creation and centre of life, love in abundance, all caring, all seeing, counter to conflict, now staying our strife. This is our mother, the God of our parents, source of the hope that has brought them to be, present to hold us, then leading us onward, loving, renewing, and setting us free. Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 2006 © 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.. 11 10 11 10 Tunes: WAS LEBET WAS SCHWEBET; EPIPHANY HYMN
Category: worship
Tangled in prejudice, lost in presumption – hymn inspired by John 9: 1-41
A hymn inspired by John 9: 1 – 41…As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned Tangled in prejudice, lost in presumption, locked in our judgments, so sure of our ground; others are sinful, but we are the righteous, this is the truth we are sure we have found. This is our blindness and now we must own it, owning suspicion of those we deride; painting them wrongly, unjustly with hatred, side-stepping honesty, trying to hide. For like the Pharisees' we are self-serving, gaining our wealth from the ones we oppress; sometimes we bring down the ones who would challenge, this we have done and now this we confess. In this confession we seek your forgiveness, God who has touched both the broken and frail. We were thought strong, but we plead for compassion, we, the successful, have found we can fail. Yet you astound us, 'your sins are forgiven', words that have echoed down into our time. How can we warrant such scandalous mercy? Only through grace can you offer this sign. Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 2011 © 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 Tunes: EPIPHANY HYMH; IN THE BEGINNING GOD PLAYED WITH THE PLANETS
She’s the one Christ should have hated – Jesus and a Samaritan woman – a hymn
Lent 3 The gospel reading (John 4: 5-42) tells of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman. This hymn reflects on this story. 1 She's the one Christ should have hated, every law set her apart, woman, foreign, faith betrayer, yet compassion warmed his heart. 2 Was he thirsty? Human nature giving us a reason why he would cross these rules, these bound'ries, does this story give the lie? 3 Yet whatever choice we fathom Jesus talked and spoke with her; sought to find a new direction, new found faith began to stir. Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 2011 © 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
A Hymn for the Beginning of Lent – Jesus’ temptation
A Hymn for the beginning of Lent – Jesus’ temptation Wild wilderness, pathetic desolation, as Jesus walked, then rested for the night, for forty days his strength was tried and tested, for forty days he sifted wrong and right. He woke to hunger tangled in his being, what miracle might turn these stones to bread? But God within the centre of his spirit was food enough to keep his body fed. His faith was such that it could move a mountain and God could save him from the greatest fall. But faith like this need not be tried or tested; the love of God will never slip or stall. He climbed the mountain, saw the world in splendour, then thought of ruling all his eyes could see; yet power like this was not the thing he needed - devoid of wealth he'd set the people free. Beyond temptation love would live incarnate, his human flesh would laugh and cry and weep, in Christ God's love and grace would not diminish, dynamic love would never die nor sleep. 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: SM Metre: 11 10 11 10 Tune: INTERCESSOR
Transfiguration – hymn – Three disciples saw God’s glory
TRANSFIGURATION Three disciples saw God's glory, sunlight pouring from Christ's face, shielding eyes are almost blinded, shaken by God's present grace. Was it just imagination, was that Moses there as well? Then Elijah stood before them; honoured men! Nowhere to dwell! Seize the moment! Peter babbled, 'should I build a place for you? Place of shelter, place of refuge? Moses and Elijah too?' All at once the vision vanished, left them all alone again. Stunned disciples cowered in horror, wondered were they mad or sane? Jesus came and gently touched them, 'never breathe a word,' he said; hinted at his human suff'ring hope, yet hell were both ahead. From the mountain's awesome grandeur they went stumbling to the town, with their friend, this God incarnate, set to wear a scornful crown. Andrew Pratt (born 1948) © 2011 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: AUSTRIA iPad art © Andrew Pratt
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