faith – hymnsandbooks

Look beyond your life’s horizon – A hymn for Pentecost

Look beyond your life’s horizon – A hymn for Pentecost which echoes Joel 2: 28 & Acts 2: 1-21

Look beyond your life’s horizon,
what will come of life on earth?
God forsaken? Horror stricken?
Or a hope of love’s rebirth?
Look into this unknown future,
ask what actions can we take,
so that peace becomes an option
in decisions that we make.

Placing God right at the centre,
seeing Christ in those we meet,
moving with a gracious Spirit,
could make hopes and dreams complete;
dreams passed down through generations,
where in spite of faith or creed,
people reach to one another,
seek to meet another’s need.

Could it be within our lifetime
that the riches of this earth
might be shared, yes shared out freely,
not by lottery of birth?
Could we learn to be less selfish,
letting go, not grasping wealth,
till the world and all it’s peoples
live in harmony and health?

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2017 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: HYFRYDOL

Created by HymnQuest.com

A hymn reflecting on story of the road to Emmaus

A hymn reflecting on story of the road to Emmaus

This is the day when we confess our faith, 
dependant on our God and God’s good grace, 
we seek to take our cross, to follow Christ, 
while seeing Christ in one another’s face.

This is the time, there is no turning back, 
companion God you stand beside us still, 
walk with us through life’s twisting, winding way, 
and keep us always faithful to your will.

Help us to break your bread of life, then share; 
lift up the cup of blessing, drink your wine; 
when rising from this table go in peace, 
our life and living be a gracious sign. 

And so we stand to offer up our lives, 
not just a verbal sacrifice of praise, 
we offer freely all we have to give 
until your spirit sets the world ablaze.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words © [pre-2026?] 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
Tune: WOODLANDS

Beware of what you think or say – Jesus and a Samaritan woman – a hymn

John 4: 5-42 v.7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’.

1           Beware of what you think or say,
              our actions give the lie,
              or offer evidence of faith
              for which we sing, or cry.

2           When challenged by a foreigner,
              a woman in her need,
              see Jesus shamed to change and act,
              her challenge sowed a seed.

3           Yes, Jesus heard her call for help
              and recognised her prayer,
              her faith was evident to him,
              as was his need to care.

4           If even Jesus changed his mind,
              when will we grasp the fact
              that scruples that we hold and guard
              mean less than how we act.

5           But faith depends on depths of love,
              compassion, care and grace;
              to see in those we disregard
              a sister’s, brother’s face.

© 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 6 8 6 Tune: ABRIDGE; BELMON

A hymn for when our certainty is shaken: Sometimes our grasp of life is frail

Prior to one of the Gospel readings for this Sunday (Matthew 17:1-9) Jesus had spoken to his disciples:

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? (Matthew 16)

Every so often our faith can be shaken and we need something to reassure us…hence this hymn which also reflects on what life today is like when our certainties are challenge:

1 Sometimes our grasp of life is frail,
yet through it all love will prevail.
And when it seems things can't get worse,
we feel that every step is cursed.

2 In spite of all, we keep our faith,
held, more than holding onto grace,
we whisper prayer and hope for praise,
we live through grey exhausting days.

3 God's word reminds of how we're held,
when love is hidden, faith is felled;
retelling narratives of pain
from which God's people rose again.

4 This is the hope to which we cling,
when life is raw, we sense death's sting;
yet on beyond this time and place
may we be kept within your grace. Amen

Andrew E 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 8 8 8
Tune: GONFALON ROYAL

Created by HymnQuest.com

Thoughts on how we use language – the need for listening and empathy

If we share a common humanity what matters in terms of how language is used is not what we think is affirming or hurtful BUT how those being addressed, or described, receive what is being said.

If I feel affirmed or put down by how I am named or described that is real for me, however the person addressing me feels about what they are saying.

Empathy and listening is needed before we condemn changes in language that we might see as ‘fashionable’ or unnecessary.

All of this ought to apply to our day to day conversation as we recognise the common humanity we share with one another, whatever name, creed, gender, orientation, self-identification or other criteria.

It is equally important in public documents and conversation, politically, in religious worship and in every other sphere

The key word in all of this is simply KINDNESS.