Tag: repentance

John the Baptist – a hymn

Related to Luke 3:7-18 – John the Baptist – The Third Sunday in Advent

1	This is the Baptist, unkempt and yet ready, 	
	calling the people to listen and act; 
	calling them down to the water for washing,
	talking of holiness, Godliness, fact.
	
2	This is the man who will call to repentance
	fisherman, Pharisee, zealot and priest; 
	here in the river the sinners will gather, 
	taking God's blessing and sharing God's peace.
		
3	This is the prophet announcing the crisis, 
	moment for turning for challenge and choice;
	quenching of hatred, demanding repentance, 
	giving a reason to praise and rejoice.
	
4	This is the man, in humility pointing 
	others to one who would soon take his place.
	Jesus is coming, the Spirit confirming, 
	this is my Son who will channel my grace.
	
5	Up from the waters the Christ is arising,
	up from our slumbering we will rise too;
	waking to love and to work every dawning, 
	each a disciple with Christ's work to do.

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: 11 10 11 10
Tune: STEWARDSHIP

Hymn responding to Greta Thunberg ahead of and following COP 26 – Blue planet, rising, soaring through the cosmos – Now with a new tune by Frances S. Drake

Blue planet, rising, soaring through the cosmos,
was lent in trust for us to tend and care
while children, young in wisdom, call in anguish, 
for all they see now fills them with despair.
The wonder of the sky has drawn us upwards, 
our eyes diverted by the moon and stars, 
and as we dream we lose our moral compass, 
and in our greed we grasp creation, call it ours.


Time runs away, our life on earth is finite, 
young prophets calling, needing us to act 
are crying out, lamenting for our planet, 
while ‘adults’ sleep, denying fear and fact.
Still others stand, immune, ignore the future, 
absolved from fault for all that comes to pass.
When will we grasp the need for urgent action, 
see clearly, not net curtained, or through frosted glass?


While sands of time run down, are gone and finished, 
in fear of change we hanker for the past, 
but life on earth is threatened by inaction, 
as lethargy and greed resist and last. 
Good God forgive us for each fault and faction, 
unwillingness to change to save this earth. 
God give us ears to hear the words of wisdom 
that we might save this planet, cradle of our birth.


Andrew Pratt 29/10/2021 – Responding to Greta Thunberg 
ahead of and following COP 26.

Words © 2021 Stainer & 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: 11.10.11.10.11.10.11.12
Tune: BLUE PLANET RISING; LONDONDERRY AIR
BLUE PLANET RISING – AUDIO – Copyright Frances S. Drake

Personal message from the President of the Methodist Conference, UK, the Rev Dr Barbara Glasson

Personal message from the President of the Methodist Conference, UK, the Rev Dr Barbara Glasson – https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/news/latest-news/all-news/a-personal-message-from-the-president-of-the-methodist-conference-the-revd-dr-barbara-glasson/

My hope is that the Methodist Church in the UK takes action to enable the inclusivity of ALL people. I have to repent personally of those times when I have, consciously or unconsciously, by action or inaction excluded anyone. I have to commit myself to listening to those who are excluded and to act or speak to enable their inclusion – TODAY.

I will not always succeed but that is no excuse for not aiming in the right direction, that of total inclusion, even if that puts me at odds with the church.