Tag: ministry

A hymn in anticipation of Advent – The crash of constellations

A hymn in anticipation of Advent - The crash of constellations

1	The crash of constellations, 
	where prejudice divides, 
	where love is torn and broken, 
	where hatred still resides, 
	is where we meet as equals 
	and share what God has given, 
	diversity in concord,  			
	a foretaste of God's heaven.
	
2	This is the time for praying,
	yet prayer is not the end, 
	for reconciliation
	needs grace that God will send.
	And in that grace our vision, 
	our eyes are opened wide,
	to see Christ in the other, 
	and then we must decide:
	
3	Is love of God yet greater 
	than human words and creeds?
	Is love of neighbour furnished
	by human loving deeds?
	And can we live together
	or must we be apart,
	because of human diff'rence
	though we are one in heart?
	
4	God give us grace to fathom 
	the riches of your care,
	and then the strength to shoulder
	the ministry we bear;
	that working with each other
	acknowledging the worth
	of love we share together
	we'll spread your peace on earth.

Andrew Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2009 © 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: 7 6 7 6 7 6 
Tune: THORNBURY


A challenge to Christian commitment – at ordination perhaps – In places where there is no church

1	In places where there is no church, 
	where hope is hard to find, 
	we touch the hands made rough by life 
	to seek a common mind.
 	We go where others would not go, 
	perhaps would fear to tread, 
	to go beyond our walls and ways 
	wherever we are led.

2	Where commerce rules we ply our trade, 
	our currency is grace, 
	and all we have to offer is 
	God's love to fill this place.
	In prisons where we sit with those
	whom justice has condemned,
	we seek to mirror Jesus' love
	that fear might have an end.

3	And while a person lives in pain 
	a quiet voice can say, 
	this time will pass, love holds you still,
	we'll see another day.
	In searing heat or arctic cold 
	where lives are ripped and torn, 
	or where a family waits in fear 
	we share another dawn.

4	And is it arrogant to say 
	we look with Jesus' eyes? 
	We seek to see his face in all, 
	to hear him in their sighs.
	And so our calling is to serve, 
	to go where Christ has led, 
	go out, go all, go to the world, 
	God's people must be fed.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 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: CMD
Tune: WORKING FOR CHRIST (by Camilla Cederholm who I met in Finland – see More than hymns, No.70)

Perinatal death – death of a child at or near birth – how might a church minister respond – some thoughts – from Net Gains/Study Skills for Ministry (Andrew Pratt)

Perinatal death

By this I mean death at or near to birth, literally ‘around birth’. Here I would include abortions, still birth and spontaneously aborted pregnancies as well as deaths in the first year, cot deaths and so on. None of these can be ‘swept out of the way’. For a woman to have conceived is enough to begin to anticipate the birth. If that birth doesn’t take place then there will be feelings which need to be dealt with. Each situation is different. As with every death listen to what is being said, watch how people are responding and, in turn, try to respond sensitively and sympathetically to different needs as you perceive them. Fathers have feelings too and it is worth remembering that when much attention may be focussed around the mother. If there are tangible memories these are important. Parents may have an ultrasound scan or photos of a still born child and may have held him or her. There may well be feelings of guilt to deal with and, again, anger or depression. In the case of a cot death a lot of questions may be asked about what the parents did or did not do. This can be exacerbated by the presence of the police who will need to be involved in such a death.

Some ministers may think it inappropriate to baptise a dead child but if this is a compassionate action to take at a parent’s request you may well want to over-ride your theological scruples in order to offer comfort. Only you can decide. A funeral is always appropriate if this is requested and undertakers usually charge minimal expenses or even none in the case of the death of a child.