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God is in the thick of living
God is in the thick of living
by Andrew Pratt
God is in the thick of living, in the midst of love and life; God is in our haste and hurry, in our peace and through our strife. At the crux of every crisis, with the wounded and bereft, Christ is crucified, derided, knows our punishment and stress. This is God, incarnate, wit…
Here is love-the prophet’s promise!
Here is love-the prophet’s promise!
by Andrew Pratt
Here is love - the prophet’s promise! Here the Christ has come to birth! Hear the loud angelic chorus peace is promised for the earth. Joy for all the world – God’s blessing: wisdom wakes, and hope is found. Crying quenched, all anguish ended, Christ has come to Bethl’ems ground.…
Hymn - As hollow as her loneliness
Hymn - As hollow as her loneliness
by Andrew Pratt
As hollow as her loneliness, the emptiness of space, the chilling of the morning air had seemed devoid of grace. She heard a whisper, just the breeze that rustled leaves near by. Her feet had crunched across the stones, her breath a simple sigh. And then with sudden recklessnes…
Hymn: A commonwealth of love
Hymn: A commonwealth of love
by Andrew Pratt
A commonwealth of love where all are held by grace, it seems idyllic on the page, could it infect this place? Within that upper room were people just like us, but meeting Christ in faith and love transformed their depth of trust. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH …
Hymn: Always looking for a sign
Hymn: Always looking for a sign
by Andrew Pratt
Always looking for a sign, never seeing what is there, people searching for some proof fixing Jesus with a stare. Standing lost and so bemused, hoping for some broken bread, Jesus meets their ignorance, people needing to be fed. Verses 3-4 follow Tune: BATTISHILL Metre: 7.7.7.7 …
Hymn: How safe is that? God owns us and protects us
Hymn: How safe is that? God owns us and protects us
by Andrew Pratt
How safe is that? God owns us and protects us. While life is cruel this shepherd knows the flock. We could not gain or earn the love that holds us. The grace of God is solid, like a rock. We cannot wander where God's love is absent. The universe is furnished with God's care. When…
Hymn: It seemed as if the Lord lived still
Hymn: It seemed as if the Lord lived still
by Andrew Pratt
It seemed as if the Lord lived still, expressed his will, the lame could walk, and all assumed the blind would see, the silent ones would start to talk! Yet all they saw when looking round, were Galilean fisher folk, a zealot and some other men, some hazarded it was a joke. Verse…
Hymn: Passion can distort our judgment
Hymn: Passion can distort our judgment
by Andrew Pratt
Passion can distort our judgment, twisting love, distorting fate. Is this Adam's sin returning as endearments turn to hate? In the cold light of the morning, looking back on what we've done, even at the new day's dawning, feeling chill in morning sun. Verses 3-4 follows Tune: MER…
Hymn: There is no need for sacrifice
Hymn: There is no need for sacrifice
by Andrew Pratt
There is no need for sacrifice save love for friend and neighbour since Christ broke every barrier down. Let this define our labour. The sweetest offering of our love is all that is demanded: to love each person as ourselves is what the Christ commanded. Verses 3-4 follow Tune: B…
Hymn: What a conundrum, they need a replacement
Hymn: What a conundrum, they need a replacement
by Andrew Pratt
What a conundrum, they need a replacement, someone to witness now Judas is dead; one who walked with them right from the beginning someone to stand here in Judas's stead. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: STEWARDSHIP 11.10.11.10 Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 2/5/2012 Stainer & Bell Lt…
Hymn: We trust in one we name as God
Hymn: We trust in one we name as God
by Andrew Pratt
We trust in one we name as God, above all else we see; the ground of being, God of love, will hold and set us free. And all our worship, praise and prayer, can't magnify the grace that God is pouring all the while on us, within this place. Verse 3 follows Tune: BELMONT Metre: CM …
Hymn: Within a crowd where we’re alone
Hymn: Within a crowd where we’re alone
by Andrew Pratt
Within a crowd where we’re alone with nothing left to say; when fear has traced our every step and love has gone away; God give us courage, help us step beyond this cage of time to find again the freedom steps to dance with heaven’s rhyme. Verse 2 follows Tune: KINGSFOLD Metre: D…
If only the righteous go in through the Lord's gate
If only the righteous go in through the Lord's gate
by Andrew Pratt
If only the righteous go in through the Lord's gate then who can be rescued, yes who can be saved? Can love be so gracious to those who are needy, to bring them salvation, all penalties waived? God's loving is boundless toward all the people, the love of a parent when children ar…
Jesus' open love would lead him
Jesus' open love would lead him
by Andrew Pratt
Jesus' open love would lead him into conflict with the law. People then, and now, believing, they know wrong, of this they're sure. Such aggressive condemnation: not the way we should behave, we have rules and regulations plotting how our God can save. Verses 3-5 follow Tune: SAI…
Jesus preached, the people pondered words
Jesus preached, the people pondered words
by Andrew Pratt
Jesus preached, the people pondered words to challenge and convict; they would rather hold to power, these were facts to contradict. Faced with truth we need to grasp the honesty of what is said, all too often we resist the things we hear or what is read. Continues... Tune: ALL F…
Let earth and heaven combine - A Christmas/New Year Meditation
Let earth and heaven combine - A Christmas/New Year Meditation
by Andrew Pratt
Let earth and heaven combine - A Christmas/New Year Meditation - Use these words to introduce the hymn or as part of a time of contemplation as Christmas becomes 'Christmas past' and we try to make sense of it as the year turns. Extract: Let earth and heaven combine - A Christmas…
Meditation: God, we're stunned!