The Right Reverend and Right Honourable The Lord Williams of Oystermouth
© Gordan Jones, used with permission Chris Moorsom The air we breathe is beauty and joy pervades our duty of giving praise to God, for plough and pasture shining in winter light, defining each single tree and down-top wood. This hymn, written by the Rev. Gordan Jones in the 1980s, has been an inspiration to me on my journey of …
Allen Beville Ramsay (1872-1955), from Anonymous French ©Magdalene College, Cambridge Reproduced by permission of the Master and Fellows of Magdalene College Cambridge. Gillian Warson The last few months have been difficult for all of us for many reasons and we have had to find our comfort where we can. I have spent many hours exploring the lanes of Oxfordshire by …
Words © Gordon Giles (b. 1966) Music © Jonathan Marten (b. 1947) Gordon Giles God our Father give your blessing The Psalmist in exile asked, ‘how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?’ (Psalm 137.4), and a few months ago we began to ask – and are still asking – how shall we sing the Lord’s song …
John Keble (1792-1866) Public Domain Jonathan Halliwell ‘His compassions fail not; they are new every morning’ The commemoration of John Keble in the Anglican Communion is held on 29th March, the anniversary of his death in 1866. As this occurred at the start of the lockdown prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, I have had plenty of time to reflect on …
Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926 – ) from Psalm 91 © administered by Oxford University Press in Europe (including UK and Ireland) and Africa, and by Hope Publishing Company in all other territories (including USA), used by permission. All rights reserved. The recording was produced for Premier Christian Radio, by Pam Rhodes. The recording of the hymn is by Rachel Paine and …
One day an angel here on this earth Alison M. Robertson © Words and Music, Mrs Alison M. Robertson, c/o SCM Canterbury Press Ltd., originally published in Life and Work November 2001. Art work by Ingebjørg Smith Alison M. Robertson Angels and Families are our theme for today. During the current pandemic, human angels have appeared out of nowhere and …
A Touching Place John L. Bell (1949 – ) and Graham Maule (1958-2019) Copyright © 1989, 1996 Wild Goose Resource Group, c/o Iona Community, Glasgow, G2 3DH, Scotland. www.wildgoose.scot Email: wildgoose@wildgoose.scot, Used by Permission. Anne Harrison Some years ago I heard the Iona Community’s John Bell speaking about why we love particular hymns: There are intellectual reasons – the hymn …
We Need Each Other’s Voice to Sing Thomas Troeger (1945 – ) © Oxford University Press Inc., Administered by Oxford University Press, Oxford, reproduced by permission. Gordon Taylor In the dawn of creation, God said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a suitable helper for him.’ (Genesis 2: 18) Years later, an ancient thinker …
The rainbow of God’s mercy Alan Gaunt (1935 – ) © 1991 Stainer & Bell Ltd Used by Permission of Stainer & Bell Ltd 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ, www.stainer.co.uk Robert Canham The rainbow of God’s mercy has over-arched the years, creating joyful colours from human grief and tears; we see the dark clouds gather, we hear the thunder roll, …
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Public Domain Malcolm Sturgess On October 13th last year our middle-of-the-road Anglican church in Salisbury hosted what turned out to be an ecumenical service to mark the canonisation of Cardinal Newman. Several Roman Catholics turned up, because they did not have an equivalent service of their own. I divided the service into three parts: Cardinal Newman …
Philippe de Grève (fl. 1236) translated by Laurence Housman (1865 – 1959) © Oxford University Press, from the English Hymnal by permission of Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Additional verses © Douglas Constable Douglas Constable Today the Christian Church commemorates one of its most celebrated saints, Mary of Magdala. She’s special for three reasons. First: John’s Gospel told us …
Synesius of Cyrene c365-414 tr. Allen William Chatfield 1808-1896 Public Domain Michael Garland It is twenty years since Common Worship was introduced by the Church of England to stand alongside The Book of Common Prayer, forming an official liturgical resource for churches and congregations wishing to use services in contemporary language. Five years after its launch came a volume of …
Martin Leckebusch (1962 – ) © 2018 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. Reproduced by permission of Kevin Mayhew Ltd, (www.kevinmayhew.com). Martin Leckebusch Let’s think today about bowls, and potatoes, and wind. But first, we’ll read from Matthew 4: As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a …
Live with faith that speaks of Jesus Colin Ferguson (1937 – )© Colin Ferguson Colin Ferguson I apologise for actually choosing one of my own compositions but I was finding it really difficult to select any one from the wealth of hymnody that I have sung and read over my life. ‘Who would true valour see‘ (John Bunyan) was in …
Elizabeth Cosnett (1936 – ) Elizabeth Cosnett: Praise the Lord with sound-waves © Copyright 1989 Stainer & Bell Ltd, 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ, www.stainer.co.uk. Used by permission. Ian Sharp Music, Praise and Silence Amid all the disconcerting news about the coronavirus it came as a shock to hear that communal singing would be banned. No hymns, no hymn …
Words: Andrew Pratt Tune: In the beginning God played with the planets by David Lee © Copyright 1999 Stainer & Bell Ltd Used by permission of Stainer & Bell Ltd, 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ, www.stainer.co.uk Andrew Pratt Back in 1998 I was getting near to that point in editing a collection of hymns and songs when I thought …
Graham Deans (1953 – ) © Graham Deans Graham Deans Hymn As now a global crisis Has brought us to our knees, We pray for those affected By illness and disease. Amid their pain and suffering Anxieties abound; They look in vain for comfort As help cannot be found. When nations are in lockdown And few can get about, Their …
Text: John Ellerton (1826-93)Tune: ST CLEMENT, Clement C Scholefield (1839-1904)Public Domain John Crothers Picture a Sunday evening in September 1959. In the gathering twilight a primary schoolboy, not yet eleven years old, is making his way alone by bus and on foot (as was possible in those far-off days) into an empty Belfast city centre. The leader of his church …
Shirley Erena Murray (1931-2020) © 1999 Hope Publishing Company, used by permission Douglas Galbraith A church as it seeks to renew its life and respond to new challenges – a continuous task – may appoint commissions, review its structures and its strategies, establish new partnerships in service, devise mission projects, unite in prayer. But all this time, some are writing …
Margaret Clarkson (1915–2008) © 1967, 1987 Hope Publishing Company Used by permission. Christopher Idle O Father, you are sovereign in all the worlds you made, your mighty Word was spoken and life and light obeyed. Your voice commands the seasons and bounds the ocean’s shore, sets stars within their courses and stills the tempest’s roar. O Father, you …