Tag: peace

He stood with scarred and open hands – a hymn of resurrection

He stood with scarred and open hands - a hymn of resurrection inspired by John 20: 19-31

1	He stood with scarred and open hands, 
	their bloodied, but now risen, Lord, 
	incomprehension met his words, 
	their fear had tightened like a cord.
	
2	His word of peace rang in their ears, 
	yet they could hardly understand. 
	Bemused, unsettled, disbelief 
	meant that the fear they felt was fanned.
	
3	Yet here he stood, as flesh and blood, 
	a word of peace upon his lips, 
	but as they try to grasp at facts 
	their sense of meaning slides and slips.
	
4	He knew their need, for doubt and awe 
	was clouding each and every mind 
	but here was fish, he took and ate, 
	his human life was sealed and signed.
	
5	The path of pain that he had known 
	was grounded in necessity, 
	for perfect love was bound to face 
	self interest and hypocrisy.
	
6	And now they understood his words, 
	'come follow' echoed in their ears. 
	That self-same grace will call us all  
	and love will cancel out our fears.

Words: Andrew Pratt (born 1948) © 2012 Stainer & 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: LM Tune: BRESLAU

God disarm us from the language – pertinent in a time when language and how it is being used can be utterly damaging


God disarm us from the language

God disarm us from the language
that will harm, or dispossess,
that disparages our neighbour
words that hurt, or bring distress.

God bring love instead of hatred,
tear down barriers we have built,
bring your grace among all nations,
takeaway our fear and guilt.

Take us, use us, in this purpose,
so our actions emulate,
all that brings us peaceful living,
not just tools of chance or fate.

Build between us bonds of friendship,
bridges in the place of lies,
till we’re bound with one another:
held by love that none denies.

Andrew E. Pratt (born 1948)
© 2026 Stainer and Bell Ltd., London, England, http://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
Tune: SHIPSTON




As we spin on through boundless space – a New hymn for the New Year

As we spin on through boundless space – a New hymn for the New Year

As we spin on through boundless space     
and mark the seasons passing, 
we trust again the Cov’nant grace,
the love that's everlasting.

We carry grief across the years, 
some memories are fading,
while others sharp as broken glass
leave scars beyond evading.

And time will test the strength of loss,
a tensile strand still holds us, 
as love of family, friends and God
are strong, and still enfold us.

So  nothing now that breaks our peace
can once deflect time's arrow, 
that joins us by the grace of God
through every new tomorrow.

Andrew Pratt 21/12/2025
Words © 2025 © 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
Tune: DOMINUS REGIT ME

When evil gathers in the wings – A hymn for Remembrance at a time of international tension

When evil gathers in the wings  - A hymn for Remembrance at a time of international tension

1	When evil gathers in the wings 
	the time of crisis offers choice: 
	to rise with courage and resist 
	or keep our silence, still each voice. 
	What shall we do when chaos reigns, 
	act out God’s love? Submit to chains?

2	As history echoes from the past, 
	while memories can tend to fade, 
	‘lest we forget’ let us recast 
	the hard decisions others made: 
	to live the love that Christ had shown, 
	self-sacrificial, Spirit blown.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2019 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 8 8
Tune: ABINGDON



A Hymn for International Day of Peace – ‘Here is Peace’

 A Hymn for International Day of Peace - Here is Peace

In 1981, the United Nations General Assembly declared the third Tuesday of September as International Day of Peace. This day coincided with the opening day of the annual sessions of the General Assembly. The purpose of the day was and still remains, to strengthen the ideals of peace around the world.
Two decades after establishing this day of observance, in 2001, the assembly moved the date to be observed annually on September 21. So, beginning in 2002, September 21 marks not only a time to discuss how to promote and maintain peace among all peoples but also a 24-hour period of global ceasefire and non-violence for groups in active combat (I am grateful to Rev’d Pat Bilsborrow for drawing my attention to this day).

Hymn: Here is Peace

Here is peace, when grace astounds us 
quelling all our wild pretence. 
Here is peace, shalom and kindness, 
passion ruled by reasoned sense.

Here is peace, when grace engenders 
love that neither fades nor ends. 
Here is peace when people welcome;
enemies become as friends.

Here is peace, when grace surprises 
ignorance with words of hope. 
Here is peace, to light our senses: 
see, God’s love has boundless scope.

Words: Andrew Pratt  written while listening to Mr D. Rutter, preacher, in Comberbach Methodist Church 2004; © 2010 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.
Tune: ADORATION (Hunt)
A tune can be found here – Traditional Latvian Melody
A commentary on the text and tune (with an out of date biography) can be found here.