Category: worship

This towering edifice – inspired by Mark 13:1-8

Temples now and then – This towering edifice of shining glass – inspired by Mark 13:1-8

1	This towering edifice of shining glass
	which speaks of power, of status and of class.  
	will one day fall, a glittering shower of shards, 
	will flutter like the children's house of cards.
	
2	These temples of our vanity and pride 
	like expectations of the crucified 
	will lie in dust and rubble that we raze, 
	not like the Christ who, later, God might raise.
	
3	We need to hear that sharp prophetic cry 
	reminding of the ones we would deny. 
	Self-righteous hypocrites will meet their end.
	Neglected people find in Christ a friend.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
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.
Metre: 10 10 10 10
Tunes: CHILTON FOLIAT; GO FORTH

‘Drones, not angels herald horror’ – a hymn for Remembrance in a new millennium through Advent to Christmas

‘Drones, not angels herald horror’ a hymn for 2024
from Remembrance through Advent to Christmas

Drones, not angels herald horror,
children shelter without hope,
singing now, but hell will follow.  	
God, through grace, give strength to cope.
Here where human hearts are broken, 
all cried out, no tears to shed, 
prayers are held, for fear, unspoken,
shrouded now in clouds of dread.

God reach deep through hateful anger 
bent on vengeance, recompense;
listen through our warring clangour, 
re-enliven common sense.
Guide us through the dust and rubble,
where our blood has stained the earth,
turning fields where all is stubble, 
seeding love that signs new birth.

Andrew E Pratt (4/11/2024)
Words © 2024 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: HYFRYDOL; SCARLET RIBBONS or, perhaps, BLAENWERN 

A completely new hymn for 2024 reminding us how different war is now but, nevertheless, with comparable suffering. Suitable, perhaps, for Remembrance and through Advent to Christmas given the continuing situation in the Middle East, Ukraine/Russia and many other places.

A little memento can move us to tears – for the famous or obscure – those we remember – a hymn

A little memento can move us to tears – the saints we remember

A little memento can move us to tears, 
a memory can surface along with its fears, 
the past is still with us, and scars are so raw, 
while hope can seem absent on life's barren shore.

The life that has ebbed has left marks on our lives, 
while love is still present some hope still survives. 
The treasure of saints in each era and age, 
is loving, while living upon the earth's stage.

And these we remember, each person, each life, 
the good they engendered, their solace in strife; 
the warmth of a hand, or the smile of a face,
their presence a channel of God given grace.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words Andrew Pratt © 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: 11 11 11 11
Tune: DATCHET

All Saints Day revolves around "giving God solemn thanks for the lives and deaths of his saints", including those who are "famous or obscure".

When life juggles with our learning – musing on … art – doubt – faith

When life juggles with our learning – musing on … art – doubt – faith

1          When life juggles with our learning,
            with the things we thought secure,
            then it seems the artist’s palette
            spins and faith becomes obscure.
            In the wash of different colours,
            as we seek for shape and form,
            others paint their faith by numbers
            forcing God to fit some norm.
           
2          But when life has torn the canvas,
            when the numbers twist and slip;
            then we need to find an image
            that will help our hope to grip:
            Holding us, when we’re past holding,
            grounding when we’re insecure,
            till we find a faith, not drifting,
            still dynamic, free, yet sure.

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 D Tune: NORMANDY (Bost)



PRATT GREEN TRUST + Brand New HymnQuest

As part of its 40th anniversary, the Trust is hosting a special one-day seminar in Manchester (and online) on 14 November and they would love to see you there:

“A More Profound Alleluia”
New perspectives on Fred Pratt Green’s hymns and their legacy
Luther King House, Manchester
14 November 2024, 10:30–17:00

BOOKING: https://prattgreentrust.org.uk/2024-seminar-a-more-profound-alleluia
Not only will you enjoy a fascinating, thought-provoking day, but you will also have the opportunity to see the brand-new version of HymnQuest, which will be available for the first time.

TIMETABLE

10:00 – Welcome and introduction to the day 
10:15 – Keynote speaker – Martin Leckebusch
11:15 – Coffee
11:45 – Workshop/Discussion – Elise Massa
12:45 – Lunch
13:30 – Papers

  • A Museum of theology – Christian hymns and Inclusion – June Boyce-Tillman
  • Fred Pratt Green – Opening Doors – Andrew Pratt
  • The Reception of Fred Pratt Green’s Hymns in North America – Nancy Graham
  • Proclaiming Social Justice in South Africa through English Hymnody: A Brief Exploration of John Gardener’s Contribution in South Africa– Andrew-John Bethke

15:30 – Tea
16:00 – Theological discussion – with questions from the floor
16:30 – Choral session – details of the Choir TBA
17:00 – CloseIf you would like to know more about the PGT or find out about ways you can help their cause, please email gillian@prattgreentrust.org.uk.