Coming soon – Hymn of the Day –

Watch this space

Hymn of the Day returns for a third Series this coming Thursday (1st July) and will continue, with a new hymn and commentary each day, throughout the month. The theme this time is ‘hymns strongly based on scripture’ so there is plenty of scope for the thirty one hymns, ‘Ancient and Modern’, ‘Old and New’, which will be appearing. Many of you will be familiar with the procedure – just go to our website :

www.hymnsocietygbi.org.uk

to ‘tune in’, it is also accessible on Facebook. As usual, all the submissions are fully scripted, beginning with the text of the hymn, followed by the Reflection and concluding with a short Prayer. Some are additionally accompanied by an audio / visual presentation and many have links to YouTube renderings of the hymn being considered. All will remain accessible until the end of August.

Hymn responding to Dr Cecilia Medupin’s Seminar for Bramhall Methodist Church Climate Change Series

Dr Cecilia Medupin
Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 
University of Manchester

Dry, cracked and crazed the water-bed lies empty, 
the earth is thirsty, rain is slow to come, 
this news is hidden, floods have filled the headlines, 
the prophets now, not heard, might well be dumb.

This is the earth the ground of life, our being, 
our home to share, to nurture and protect, 
a gift of God for us and all God’s creatures, 
to use our knowledge, work to good effect.

As people wait, the wells of life are barren, 
how long, O God, before your people learn 
that we must live and love and work together, 
to answer needs that science can discern.

The brightest light of wisdom dims in sadness, 
if we ignore the needs of all the earth,
if selfishly we dominate creation, 
deny the love once given at our birth.

Great God, earth mother, father of creation, 
we plead and cry that you will hear each voice, 
then motivate your people, bring fresh waters, 
till earth can sing and once again rejoice!

Andrew Pratt 18/6/2021 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: INTERCESSOR  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX0q8eBGE7A)

More information click here

Hymn responding to Ms Steph Bryant’s Seminar for Bramhall Methodist Church Climate Change Series

Ms Steph Bryant 
Youth and Schools Programme Co-Director, 
The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion

Our view of the stars fosters wonder, through grandeur: 
the sense of a cosmos within God’s embrace;
from infinite chaos we’ve grown on this planet 
to learn, live and care, an inquisitive race.

We thrive as God nurtures our fragile existence, 
our life is related to all life on earth, 
and each generation must deepen in knowledge, 
yet guard against arrogance in our own worth.

God give us compassion to live with our neighbours, 
to value each species, conserve, and renew; 
to challenge those actions that lead to destruction, 
to cherish and never take more than our due.

And these are the gifts we must share with our children, 
compassionate love and a God-given grace,
this love with no limits pervades all creation 
from oceans and forests to infinite space.

Andrew Pratt 14/6/2021
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: 12.11.12.11
Tune: STREETS OF LAREDO

More information click here

Hymn responding to Prof John Evans’ Seminar for Bramhall Methodist Church Climate Change Series

Prof John Evans
Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of Southampton

To work with God we need to learn 
each nuance of this earth, 
the way the planet shifts and moves,  
its treasures, all their worth.
We search out every finite source, 
yet sometimes lack the care 
to measure out just what we need, 
to leave some resting there.

And now we start to comprehend 
not just this worldly wealth,
but how its use can build, enhance, 
or damage earthly health;
not just the strength of humankind, 
but climate’s synergy, 
the balance on which life depends 
for its vivacity.

So now we learn to understand 
the calling of our race, 
to stand in watch, to call and act, 
within each time and place; 
not just renewing white bleached bones 
or raising dead to life, 
but clothing every word with love, 
where hatred once was rife.

7/6/2021 Andrew Pratt
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: CMD
Tune: KINGSFOLD

More information click here