Tag: reconciliation

God’s grace extends beyond our comprehension – a hymn of forgiveness and reconciliation

God’s grace extends beyond our comprehension – a hymn of forgiveness and reconciliation

God’s grace extends beyond our comprehension, 
beyond the limits that we put on love. 
God calls us to forgiveness and redemption, 
sometimes the bar is just too high above.
             
When we are wronged God feels the hurt we suffer 
and enters into every human pain; 
yet when our hatred flames, God makes a buffer, 
absorbing venom time and time again.
             
We are not called beyond what we can offer 
in giving someone back the peace we prize; 
and yet when we are numb our God can proffer 
the gift and grace to help us to arise.
             
And then once in a while perhaps we’ll manage, 
through grace and not within our strength alone, 
to show forgiveness that may help us salvage
relationships that once we would disown.

Andrew Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 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: 11 10 11 10 Tune: INTERCESSOR
Created by HymnQuest.com

                                                  Great Budworth © Andrew Pratt

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

Come wake the dead- hymn

Come, wake the dead and raise the roof  – a hymn with Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 in mind

1             Come, wake the dead and raise the roof, 
                we’ll picnic in the hills;
                the day of God will come to pass, 
                when fear no longer chills.
               
2             Good wine is here to slake your thirst, 
                the hungry feast and rest, 
                the captives will be free at last, 
                the foreigner is blessed.
               
3             God formed us all and made us well 
                and God will bring us home; 
                the broken, beaten, lost, are found, 
                no longer need to roam.
               
4             So join the throng and raise your voice, 
                look round, look up, look well, 
                while all the heavens join our song, 
                ring every freedom bell.

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: CM
Tune: CAPEL

Vocation, Ordination, Being Christian after an Election

Last Sunday (30th June 2024) Methodist Presbyters and Deacons were Ordained at the Annual Methodist Conference in the UK. Those in Leeds were able to witness and share in this in person. Some of us followed the preceding service on-line. 

ALL CHRISTIANS have a vocation, a calling to follow Christ and to share God’s love whoever we are and wherever life takes us. This hymn was written FOR US!

1	We are the rainbow's colours,
	the thundering sighs of love,
	the shakers of foundations,
	the seething clouds above.
	We are God's chosen people,
	from exile we are freed,
	our common consecration
	means liberty indeed.

2	A hope for every nation,
	we come to bring God's peace,
	the reconciliation,
	the prisoner's release.
	This is our sole vocation,
	the reason for our birth,
	to offer hope through loving,
	to bring God's peace on earth.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)
© 2002, 2006 Stainer & Bell Ltd (alt 2024 by the author)
Metre: 7 6 7 6 D
Tune: PASSION CHORALE