Tag: Andrew Pratt

Here we're watching from the side-lines – a hymn for Palm Sunday

1	Here we're watching from the sidelines, 
	yet we bring ourselves to bear
	on the picture, on the action: 
	now it feels as though we're there.
	Deep within the crowd we're cheering, 
	yet our doubt is all too near.
	Is it safe to follow Jesus? 
	Then this doubt is fuel to fear.
	
2	Now the crowds shout out hosanna! 
	Feeling one, we join their call. 
	Carried by the celebration, 
	know that we could give our all.
	Doubt has been repressed, and hidden, 
	for a time our fear is small. 
	Yet, if we could only know it,
	Christ is heading for a fall.
	
3	On beyond this acclamation, 
	crowds would find a reason why 
	they could change these glad hosannas 
	to a raucous, angry cry.
	And are we as faulted, fickle, 
	just as likely to deny 
	all the things we once held firmly,
	call for God to hang and die?
	
4	We are human, if we're honest 
	we will own that we can fail, 
	change and spin our understanding, 
	recognise that we are frail. 
	God we need your gracious loving, 
	deep forgiveness to assail 
	things that hurt and leave us broken. 
	God enable and prevail.

Andrew Pratt (born 1948)
© 2011 Stainer and Bell Ltd., London, England, www.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: CONVERSE

Created by HymnQuest.com


Here terror stripped our Lord of hope – a hymn of the Passion

1	Here terror stripped our Lord of hope, 
	the sweat of blood, the fear of death, 
	the shadow of that fearful cross, 
	that dries the throat, that quickens breath.
	
2	Alone and desolate he waits 
	and prays that God might take away 
	the cup that signals human dread, 
	while friends have slept, or left the fray. 
	
3	And, strange enigma, this is God 
	and here God shares mortality, 
	within the garden, on the cross, 
	at one with our humanity.
	
4	And now our deepest fear and loss,
	condensed to pain of mind and heart,
	are met within God's human frame, 
	within God's science and God's art.
	
5	And in our lost humanity 
	when hope is drained and faith has gone, 
	when desolation dwells within, 
	God holds our hurt and love goes on.  

Andrew Pratt (born 1948)
© 2015 Stainer and Bell Ltd., London, England, www.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 8 8 8
Tune: FULDA

Created by HymnQuest.com