Hymn: Here a neighbour stands as Jesus
Hymn: Here a neighbour stands as Jesus
by Andrew Pratt
Here a neighbour stands as Jesus, here is God, yes, face to face, here our faith finds restoration, here we meet and share God's grace. Here while eyes look with compassion hands reach out and peace is shown; we are held in loving kindness filled with joy that God has sown. Verse…
What news is good? That Christ will live forever?
What news is good? That Christ will live forever?
by Andrew Pratt
What news is good? That Christ will live forever? Beyond a cruel death an empty grave? And whether this is fact or faith means nothing unless Christ's Spirit gives the means to save. If we endure derision, in this moment, or share communion bread within this place, unless our liv…
Hymn: The spirit of the Son of Man
Hymn: The spirit of the Son of Man
by Michael Docker
The spirit of the Son of Man Is caught where we're found praying As Jesus prayed; that what we are Be one with what we're saying. The spirit of the Galilean Is caught when we're found singing As Jesus sang; a suffering song Shall frame the lives we're bringing. The spirit of the …
Broken bread and conversation
Broken bread and conversation
by Andrew Pratt
Broken bread and conversation, sharing food and drinking wine. Jesus punctuates the story talks of symbol, speaks of sign. When they ate, each time of meeting, they were to remember this, not some mystic magic moment, just a time of human bliss. Time for friendly reminiscence, ti…
In the silent, stillness, listen
In the silent, stillness, listen
by Andrew Pratt
In the silent, stillness, listen, God is calling will we hear? All too often faith has foundered, grace is muzzled by our fear. In our rush and haste and hurry we have lost the time for prayer; lost the time for conversation, then we think God is not there. Verses 2-3 follow © An…
When Jesus prayed in mystic, sweet communion
When Jesus prayed in mystic, sweet communion
by Andrew Pratt
When Jesus prayed in mystic, sweet communion, he was not begging for a loaf of bread, yet noting the reality of hunger, his words are human, asking to be fed. This human need that undergirds existence, provides the ground, the need to live in peace, where grace determines human c…
How long, O Lord, until you hear
How long, O Lord, until you hear
by Gareth Hill Publishing/Song Solutions CopyCare
Hymn – How long, 0 Lord, until you hear How long, 0 Lord, until you hear the Church’s cry of pain? Our voices fail, our strength grows weak are all our dreams in vain? Yet still we search for shafts of hope for rumours of new birth, we strain for heaven’s answer to our anguish he…
Hymn: From the depths my voice had echoed
Hymn: From the depths my voice had echoed
by Andrew Pratt
From the depths my voice had echoed, prayers were flung against the void, to my mind hope seemed to founder, faith it seemed had been destroyed. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: ALL FOR JESUS Metre: 8.7.8.7 Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 27/5/2012 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England…
Hymn: Pray and praise or keep in healing
Hymn: Pray and praise or keep in healing
by Andrew Pratt
Pray and praise or keep in healing, all the people we hold dear; share in honest hope and feeling all our faith that God is here. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: SHIPSTON Metre: 8.7.8.7 Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 21/8/2012 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, www.stainer.co.uk. …
Hymn: You are the God that brought us all to birth
Hymn: You are the God that brought us all to birth
by Andrew Pratt
You are the God that brought us all to birth, the God of all the cosmos and this earth; and yet in human life you shared our pain and in this present moment share again. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: ELLERS, EVENTIDE Metre: 10.10.10.10 Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 9/10/2012 Sta…
O what can we do when the God that we worship
O what can we do when the God that we worship
by Andrew Pratt
O what can we do when the God that we worship then fails to respond to each plea and each prayer? All Logic will say either, we are deluded, or God is just absent, our God is not there. Then is it the formula, words that we utter, that fail to arouse one that we would call God? T…
Out of Egypt now in Canaan
Out of Egypt now in Canaan
by Andrew Pratt
Out of Egypt now in Canaan, finding freedom in this place celebrating liberation, Hebrews learning of God's grace. Now this story, part of hist'ry, told again from year to year: speaks of haste, release and rescue, time of tension, time of fear. Verses 3-4 follow Tune: ALL FOR JE…
Out of hope we act with boldness
Out of hope we act with boldness
by Andrew Pratt
Out of hope we act with boldness, Christ sustaining us through grace now our faith unveils the Godhead, now we're praying face to face. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: LOVE DIVINE (Stainer) Metre: 8.7.8.7 Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 24/1/2013 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, w…
Cedars of Lebanon, oaks of old England
Cedars of Lebanon, oaks of old England
by Andrew Pratt
Cedars of Lebanon, oaks of old England, elegant poplars along country roads, trees mark a heritage, hope for the future, holding our history and bearing our loads. Hurricanes harass these trees by uprooting years of their growing, investment and toil, earthquakes unsettle the thi…
Hymn: Sometimes the Bible seems unreal
Hymn: Sometimes the Bible seems unreal
by Andrew Pratt
Sometimes the Bible seems unreal, its people like a saintly race, they speak with such integrity as those immersed in Godly grace. And how can we, within our time, aspire to such a perfect goal of innocence and purity, when needing love to make us whole? Verses 3-4 follow Tune: B…
Thanks to God for this, our Chapel
Thanks to God for this, our Chapel
by Jacqui Horton
Note: on a different occasion the first line could be ‘Thanks to God for this, our building’, or ‘Thanks to God for …. Church’ Thanks to God for this, our Chapel, and its life across the years. For the many scenes its witnessed, host to many hopes and fears. Joy and sadness, j…
We come, O God, to celebrate