hymn – Page 5 – reverendally.org

Easter Hymn

Here’s a hymn for Easter day, written for the very lovely Cate Williams.
It’s based on the John 20 gospel reading about Jesus and Mary in the garden.
If you want one that’s more for the Easter season, then try this.
The tune is Praise my soul / Lauda anima, and there’s now a fourth verse to make it easier for those using recorded hymn accompaniments 🙂
As always, help yourself if you like it.

Early, while the world was sleeping,
to the garden Mary came;
lost in lonely grief, still weeping
till in love you spoke her name.
Alleluia, alleluia
Nothing now can be the same.

See, the sunlight, slowly dawning
overwhelms the shades of night,
welcoming this glorious morning,
rising with the Light of Light.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Death and darkness put to flight.

Trusted as the first apostle,
Mary swiftly made her way;
bearing this, the Easter gospel
to a world in disarray.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Good news for the earth today.

Risen Jesus, come and greet us:
Speak our name, we are your own;
In your generous love you meet us:
in our lives that love is shown.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Resurrection life made known.

And another one…

church resources, hymns

I found this versified ‘Prayer of Humble Access’ on my computer, half finished, with no recollection of having started to write it. Now I’ve finished it, I can’t actually imagine a situation in which it would be preferable to sing this than to say the standard version of the prayer, but there you go.

We come to this, your table, Lord,
Not certain of our rights,
But trusting that your mercy finds
us worthy in your sight.

We would not dare to eat the crumbs
That from your table fall,
But for your invitation which
Extends to one and all.

For you, Lord, are a God of love,
Your mercy never ends.
Your grace has brought us here today,
And now you call us friends.

In bread may we receive Christ’s flesh,
To clean our bodies through,
And in his life-blood wash ourselves
to be remade anew.

Lord, grant us grace to seek your face,
and come and dwell with you,
And dwell in us, that we may find our-
selves more Christ-like too.

A hymn about work

church resources, hymns

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.

Ash Wednesday hymn

ash wednesday, hymns, lent

Here’s something for Ash Wednesday. The tune is ‘Let all mortal flesh’.

Dust to dust, we mark our repentance,
entering a guilty plea,
Ash to ash, we face our sentence,
Sin writ large for all to see:
Now these signs of all our falls from grace,
mark us for divine embrace.

Dust of earth once shaped and moulded
into this, our human frame,
Body, mind and soul enfolded,
given life and called by name.
Now O Lord remake our damaged form,
Hold us till our hearts grow warm.

Dust that fuels the lights of heaven,
Stars and planets passing by,
Atoms of creation’s splendour,
Earth to earth and sky to sky,
Now our dust, redeemed, sing loud and long
in that universal song.

A very simple Epiphany song

christmas, church resources, hymns

This one was for the lovely Yvonne, whose church wanted something bouncy for Epiphany! Fairly obviously, the tune is ‘Sing hosanna’.