Tag: church

A hymn for All Souls

church resources, hymns

I wrote this last year (so you may have already seen it) as an alternative to using simply ‘funeral hymns’ at All Souls.  It needed to be a tune everyone would know, so it’s Repton (Dear Lord and Father of mankind).  Feel free to use it if you’d like to.

We place into your hands, O Lord,
the souls of those we love:
we trust your promise is not vain
that all, through grace and faith, may gain
a place in heaven above,
a place in heaven above.

We place into your hands, O Lord,
this world and all its care,
The grief and hurt and pain we feel,
when desperation makes us kneel
in silent, wordless prayer,
in silent, wordless prayer.

We place into your hands, O Lord,
These burdens that we bear:
Each sorrow and each past regret,
And ask that in our hearts you’ll set
your peace beyond compare,
your peace beyond compare.

We place into your hands, O Lord,
our future and our past:
And as you bless us on our way,
and travel with us night and day,
your love will hold us fast,
your love will hold us fast.

All age preaching: improvisation, interactivity, and enacted theology

church resources

In July this year I gave a paper at a preaching conference – the theme of the whole conference was ‘imagination’ and I was asked to speak on all age preaching. You can download a pdf version of my paper here: Improvisation and Enacting Theology in All Age Worship. Enjoy!

The Shepherd – a hymn for services with sheep-related readings

church resources, hymns

I wrote this one last year, but remembered that it is relevant for this Sunday’s reading, so I thought I’d post it again

Tune: Tyrolean melody
with thanks to St Augustine

There came a shepherd from the hillside
searching all alone.
He came to seek and save the lost,
And welcome us back home.
‘O come to me, beloved child’,
The shepherd spoke his plea:
‘Your heart will never find its rest
Until you rest in me.’

We hoped to prove our worthiness
in duty and in care;
We sought you, Lord, in rules and laws,
And thought to find you there.
In all our searching, we forgot
What deep inside we knew:
Our hearts could never find their rest
Unless it was in you.

O search us out and know our ways
In waking and in sleep;
Protect us through the day and night
And in your presence keep.
We travel on in life and faith
And find that it is true:
Our hearts will never find their rest
Until we rest in you.

Hymns for Mothering Sunday

church resources, hymns

Ages ago I wrote two hymns for Mothering Sunday – if you’re sick of the same old hymns every year and want to try something different, you’re welcome to help yourself to these.

All our blessings
Tune: All things bright and beautiful

All our blessings, all our joys
With thankful hearts we sing,
Lord of life and Lord of love,
Accept the praise we bring.

For parents and for children,
For husbands, wives, and friends,
For those whose care enfolds us
With love that never ends.

For fellowship and friendship
We both receive and give,
For those who’ve shared our journey
And taught us how to live.

For all who’ve shared our sorrow,
Walked with us in our pain,
Who’ve held our hand through darkness
And showed us light again.

In sacrifice and service
Your love is clearly shown,
Your outstretched arms embrace us
to bring us safely home.

For those who give us life and breath
Tune: O Waly Waly

For those who gave us life and breath,
For love that’s stronger far than death,
Today we bring our thankful hearts,
For all a mothering love imparts.

For kindness, patience, warmth and care,
For each embrace, each smile, each tear,
Each word of peace, each healing touch,
These simple gifts which mean so much.

We look to you, our mothering Lord,
Who shows love’s cost, and love’s reward,
Your passion fiercer than the grave,
Nailed to the world you came to save.

So teach your people how to live,
How to endure, how to forgive,
Teach us to trust, to sacrifice,
To share the love that has no price.

New hymn – loosely based on Luke 13.10-17

church resources, hymns

Really struggled to find plenty of hymns for this Sunday’s gospel (the woman bent double, whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath).  So I tried to write one. Not sure if it’s pants or useful or a bit of both!  If you like it, you can have it!  It goes to the tune ‘Slane’ (Be thou my vision / Lord of all hopefulness), which I think most people in most churches probably know. 

Jesus, our Saviour, your life-giving breath
brought order from chaos, and life out of death;
You give us your Spirit, now help us impart
that gift to our neighbour­ as a gift from the heart.

Jesus, our healer, the touch of your hand
fills us with new confidence, helps us to stand;
Your strength in our weakness is power indeed
to stand up for others whatever their need.

Jesus, our brother, your love never ends:
makes slaves into children, helps strangers make friends,
may love be the lesson we learn and we teach,
may love be the motive for our actions and speech.

Jesus, inspirer and source of all good,
we stand here on earth as of old you once stood;
The Church is your body,  the task you begun
is ours to continue till the work here is done.