A hymn about work (Tune: Melita – Eternal Father, strong to save)
This is one of those hymns that will be useless on almost every occasion except for the tiny few occasions when it’s useful.
For all with heavy loads to bear,
with calls to serve, protect and care,
Whose work and life bring hard demands,
With others’ welfare in their hands.
Lord, help them thrive in all they face,
Upheld by your all-loving grace.
For all who find their work to be
A test of their integrity,
in contracts brokered, deals secured,
In choices faced and stress endured,
Lord, grant to them the strength they need,
To follow you in word and deed.
For all who long for work and pay
To buy enough to live each day.
When skills are offered yet ignored,
And patience reaps no real reward,
Lord, where we only see despair
send purpose, hope and justice there.
For all whose work is never done,
Whose call is answered in the home,
Frustration, tiredness, love and care
Combine to build the kingdom there.
Lord, give to all whose work is love
Your inspiration from above.
In all that we will do this day
Be near us, Lord of all, we pray,
In words and actions, work and rest,
May all our moments be so blessed
That when our years and days are done
We’ll find our life has just begun.
reverendally.org 
Reblogged this on A Rector reflects and commented:
Reverend Ally’s blog is well worth following. She often posts hymns to well-known tunes…
This is a great hymn, and fills a huge hole in hymnary. As a workplace chaplain, I’d love to include it on our websites http://www.lincschaplaincy.org.uk and http://www.faithatwork.info How do we ask your permission? We’d obviously acknowledge you, but what else would we need to do?
Hi Mary, I’m delighted you like the hymn, and you are very welcome to use it in whatever way you like – I’m not registered with CCLI or anything, so there’s nothing to pay and no forms to fill in, just help yourself. If you want to include a link to my website that would be great, just so people can see where it came from. Enjoy!
Modern hymn for modern times and fits Melita well. Any copyright restriction?
It’s free and available for anyone to use – just help yourself! If you credit it to me you’ll save yourself the bother of people asking where you got it from, and if you’e putting it online it would be lovely to include a link to my website, but otherwise, just help yourself, and enjoy. I’m not on CCLI or anything, so there’s no forms to fill in and nothing to pay. 🙂