Category: church resources

A hymn for when things are hard

church resources, hymns, worship

Lord, in our waiting and watching, we pray
that you would watch with us as night turns to day,
and if morning comes and we still cannot stand,
through every long moment keep holding our hand.

Lord, when our tears do not bring us relief,
You weep at our side in our pain and our grief,
Whenever it seems that we suffer alone,
In life’s hardest moments, Lord, make yourself known.

Lord, in our anger when pain is ignored,
when voices are silenced, experience is scorned,
Sustain us, and raise us to speak and be heard,
and soften hard hearts with the power of your word.

Lord, in our weariness, give us your peace,
the hope that the world’s many troubles will cease,
Then help us to find that in each place of need,
your love is transforming each thought, word and deed.

(Tune: Slane)

I wrote this last month and then forgot about it. Sorry about that. But here it is now.

The crumby dog

art, bible, church resources, clipart, doodle, pictures, worship

Because it’s that week in the lectionary (16th August) here are the pictures I’ve done for the gospel reading about Jesus’ encounter with the canaanites woman.

This one’s called ‘the one with the crumby dog’ (urban version) and features the woman with the sick child who answered back. You go, mamma bear!
The Crumby dog, complete with actual dog
The crumby dog, b/w version
Crumby dog, in/out version

The Way of the Cross

art, church resources, clipart, easter, holy week, pictures, worship

Thanks again to my son for recording and editing this version of the (biblical) stations of the cross. The text is directly from Common Worship, but using only the biblical texts and the prayers. You’re very welcome to use it if it’s helpful to you.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

art, church resources, clipart, easter, holy week, hymns, music, pictures, worship

Simple version of the traditional spiritual, with thanks to my son for recording, editing, and mastering the audio, and for producing the video. Please feel free to use it in your digital worship (if you use it on Good Friday you may wish to pause it before the last verse).

Dark is the night

church resources, easter, holy week, hymns, lent, music, poems, worship

A hymn for Passiontide to Easter Eve 2020, as a contribution to ‘words for difficult times’.
(Tune: Eventide, aka Abide with me)

Here is a video of the hymn, with me singing and my son recording and producing it:

And the text for those using screen readers:

Dark is the night, the passing hours are long,
Lone voices whisper sorrow’s silent song,
Each faltering prayer will fear it’s made in vain,
When will we sing the world to life again?

Dark is the night; not all are blessed with sleep.
Some wake and work, and some must watch and weep:
Angels disguised, they tend a world in pain,
Off’ring the hope that there’ll be life again.

Dark is the night, the silent hours are slow,
Heav’n’s tears anoint the suffering earth below,
Blessing with dew the secret springing grain,
Pledge that the world will soon know life again.