Category: worship

Mothering Sunday? UKRAINE – first draft

God is among all the cries of the dying, 
buried in fear amid hurt and disdain, 
breathing the dust of destruction, despairing,
holding each mother and feeling her pain.


God, like a mother, once torn from her children, 
weeps in the darkness, has nowhere to turn, 
fenced by the horror and starved by indiff’rence,
nations watch blindly while homes fall or burn.


God, stand beside us, God mother and comfort, 
God you despaired as you hung, bled and died, 
now in this moment, God hold and enfold us, 
interpose Love where all love was denied.

Andrew Pratt (born 1948)

Words © 2022 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

Tune: STEWARDSHIP



Cities of sanctuary – welcoming migrants

This hymn was written some years ago, responding to a call to provide sanctuary for people on the margins by Rev’d Inderjit Bhogal, (Past President of the Methodist Conference) - https://inderjitbhogal.com/category/sanctuary/ - Sadly both the call and the hymn are still pertinent. We wait to welcome guests to our countries.
‘Cities of sanctuary’, could read, ‘Towns offer sanctuary’, ‘Places of sanctuary’ or Churches of sanctuary’, depending on your situation.
 
Cities of sanctuary, places of safety, 
here where all strangers are welcomed and blessed, 
we stand with Jesus in love of our neighbour, 
here in our actions his love is expressed.

We will act justly while offering mercy, 
nurturing humbly a gospel of peace, 
welcome all people regardless of status, 
counter celebrity, value the least.

Here in a world that is cruel and unyielding 
God's hospitality values the poor; 
this is the scandal of love without limits, 
loving the unloved, then loving them more.

We will not rest till each migrant is welcomed. 
We will share bread till the hungry are fed. 
We will confront each injustice that greets us, 
loving with vigour till hatred is dead.

Andrew Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2008 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
Tune: STEWARDSHIP

A number of my hymns selected by Pam Rhodes reflecting on Ukraine and included in Hearts & Hymns, Premier Radio including ‘We hear the news in anguish’

Each of these links will open an audio file from the programme first aired on 13th March 2022 –

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

All of Andrew Pratt’s hymns are copyright Stainer & Bell Ltd and texts can be found on HymnQuest

Pam Rhodes – Hearts & Hymns, Premier Christian Radio, 13/20 March 2022 – Ukraine, suffering, war and peace

Reflections for Ukraine based on some of my texts on Premier Christian Radio were broadcast (Freeview channel 725) on Sunday 13th March 2022 0800 hours (UK)

A video prepared for SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE is available here with thanks to Pam Rhodes and Gareth Moore (to be broadcast Sunday 20th March 2022 at 1800 hours UK)

Also see hymn @ https://hymnsandbooksblog.uk/2022/03/01/we-hear-the-news-in-anguish-hymn-at-time-of-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/