When Jesus came to Bethlehem there was no harsh a day,
they say a census had been called, there was no place to stay;
this baby who would shake the world, would first lay down his head,
not in a royal house or hall, but in a manger bed.
When Jesus went to Nazareth his father had a trade,
a carpenter now had a son and business plans were laid;
but soon within the temple courts, this lad would have his way,
dissenting from his parents' wish, they'd looked for him all day.
The path that he set out to tread from Jordan's crowded bank
would take him him through a wilderness with neither power nor rank;
returning he would scourge the ones and verbally deride
a viper's brood, these hypocrites, who dressed themselves in pride.
Returning to Jerusalem, but not in regal dress,
he's seated on a donkey's back, not here to rule or bless;
the temple tables were upturned, but more disturbing still,
his challenge to authority would cause the air to chill.
That chill was in Gethsemane when he knelt down to pray,
and all the pain of all the world seared through him on that day;
the time of crisis had arrived to turn from what was right,
or walk with soldiers on to what now looked like endless night.
The trial came and ones that he had scourged with words scourged him,
and this was brutal vengeance now, not wondrous, simply grim:
his flesh was ripped, his sinews torn, his body hung to dry,
and as the darkness gathered round the whole world seemed to sigh.
That ragged child that Mary bore was taken from the tree,
the women waited through three days, covertly went to see:
they found the tomb was empty now, the one they sought had gone,
and as they raced in fear away, the mystery lingered on.
Yet through two thousand years and more the influence of that man
has rippled down through history from where it first began;
his spirit stills inspires a faith that trusts to what is right,
to seek for truth, to live in love, keep justice burning bright.
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: 14 14 14 14
Tune: THE LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER
Written at the request of the Rev’d Dr John Parry
Tag: resurrection
Emmaus a hymn – Way out beyond the reaches of the cosmos
After Easter some people were walking to Emmaus talking about all that had happened. Jesus, unrecognised, walked beside them. Only when they reached their destination and asked Jesus to join them for a meal did they recognise him – when he broke bread. This hymn reflects on the all-pervasive nature of the message of resurrection, that of creation and re-creation, only in the last verse bringing us to Emmaus. It is for communion, or any other meal. Fred Kaan once pointed out that ‘companion’ means ‘with bread’. Way out beyond the reaches of the cosmos, through strands, like smoke, of interstellar cloud, our God is moving, forming, re-creating, each image speaks the name of God, out loud. It seems this God will nurture like a mother, the power of love embodies life and light. This love transcends succeeding generations, brings comfort in the darkness of death's night. Companion God in breaking bread together we meet with you as we met on the way, a friendly God you still make peace between us, as sharing meals we meet with you each day. Andrew E Pratt (born 1948) Words © 2014 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: O PERFECT LOVE : :
One week on from Easter Sunday, a hymn with echoes of the story: ‘Such enchantment, sudden strangeness’
One week on from Easter Sunday, a hymn with echoes of the story: Such enchantment, sudden strangeness... 1 Such enchantment, sudden strangeness, Power and love, by God, distilled; Then they recognise his presence, By his words their fears are stilled. 'Peace be with you', Simon Peter, John, you need not be afraid; 'Peace be with you', doubting Thomas, Don't be anxious or dismayed. 2 In the garden he saw Mary, Talked with her, unrecognised; Naming her drew back the curtain, Opened tear-stained, blinded eyes. Others walking to Emmaus Talked, depressed, their sadness showed, Till at last, their journey ended, Broken bread their Lord disclosed. 3 Fishing, from a boat, some saw him, They had trawled, had felt forlorn; Recognition added savour To their breakfast at the dawn. As we go about our business Bring enchantment to our lives; Open eyes that we might know the Love from which our peace derives. Andrew E Pratt (born 1948) Words © 2000 © 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. 8.7.8.7.D Tune: HYFRYDOL
Easter hymn – We cannot speculate, or glance
An empty tomb is just empty. It took a meeting with Jesus to convince a woman, then a group of men that Jesus, who had died on a cross, was alive. It is still difficult to believe. Yet after two thousand years, whatever we believe, as Geoffrey Best has written on Facebook, ‘…in this (hi)story is the revelation of the very nature of God, a God who takes all that we throw and absorbs and transforms the dead and deadly into life abundant .... if we let it!’ Amen! 1 We cannot speculate, or glance into the well of history. Nor can we look beyond this time with any sense of certainty. We only have our faith and hope, to make us stand, to help us cope. 2 Great God we grasp at straws of faith, of things we hope will point to you. We read the ancient texts and scan those distant myths to make them new. And all the time we live between these metaphors and what is seen. 3 The past is gone, we cannot hear more than an echo down the age. And what is still to come we fear; we see each other's pent up rage. Yet what we need is close at hand, your present love in every land. 4 True resurrection brings to bear the things that heal, create, unite. Love launches its triumphant praise and builds on joy and will delight. The former things are passed away, dead night transformed to brightest day. Metre: 8 8 8 8 8 8 Tune: ABINGDON 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.
Art © Andrew Pratt 2022
Always missing, never grasping – hymn for the Third Sunday of Easter
Always missing, never grasping, hope amid this shifting sea, coast and haven seem remote now, too far off to harbour me. Yet those fishermen are telling news that I can't comprehend, news that Jesus is still living, hasn't met his final end. But I saw his body hanging silhouetted like a sail, blood was draining, rigor rising, movement quietened, life gone pale. Now they say that sail is filling, spirit billows drive him on, Christ is cresting all disaster, life returns and death is gone. Yet unless I see the bow wave, feel the tiller in my hand, sense the tautness of the lanyard, I can hardly understand. Source of wind and wave, my sailor, give me faith to grasp this news, you are living, death defying, heaven, earth and joy will fuse. 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: 8 7 8 7 D Tune: LEWIS FOLK MELODY
hymnsandbooks 