Hymns with the theme of 'mercy' feature in Hymns on Sunday this week, and there's a 20th century classic which became famous during the Billy Graham Crusades of the 1940s.
Stained glass designed by Nigel Brown Photo: RNZ / Paul Bushnell
SONG: STAND UP AND BLESS THE LORD
Artist: Choir of Belfast Cathedral
Words/Music: Montgomery/Lockhart
Recording: Priory PRCD 722
Stand up and bless the Lord,
All people of His choice;
Stand up and bless the Lord your God
With heart and soul and voice.
Though high above all praise,
Above all blessing high,
Who would not fear His holy name,
And praise and magnify?
Oh for the living flame
From His own altar brought,
To touch our lips our minds inspire,
And wing to heaven our thought!
God is our strength and song,
And His salvation ours;
Then be His love in Christ proclaimed
With all our ransomed powers.
Stand up and bless the Lord;
The Lord your God adore;
Stand up and bless His glorious name,
Henceforth forevermore.
SONG: WHO IS HE IN YONDER STALL
Artist: Elora Festival Singers, Noel Edison (dir), Michael Bloss (organ)
Words/Music: Hanby/Hanby
Recording: Naxos 8.573421
Who is he in yonder stall
at whose feet the shepherds fall?
Refrain:
'Tis the Lord, O wondrous story!
'Tis the Lord, the King of glory;
at his feet we humbly fall,
crown him, crown him Lord of all!
Who is He, who stands and weeps,
at the grave where Laz’rus sleeps?
Refrain:
Who is he in Calvary's throes
asks for blessings on his foes?
Refrain:
Who is he who from the grave
comes to seek and help and save?
Refrain:
SONG: TAMA NGAKAU MARIE
Artist: Otago Girls’ High School Choir
Words/Music: Trad
Recording: RNZ
|
Tama ngākau mārie |
Son of peace |
SONG: BE THOU MY VISION
Artist: Choir of Belfast Cathedral
Words/Music: Anon trans Byrne, versified Hull/Trad
Recording: Griffin 224018
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art;
thou my best thought in the day or the night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;
I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord;
thou my great Father: and I thy true son;
thou in me dwelling, and I with thee.
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my armour, and be thou my might,
thou my soul's shelter, and thou my high tower:
raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, through all my days:
thou, and thou only, the first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of Heaven, when the battle is done,
grant heaven’s joys to me, O bright heaven's sun!
Christ of my own heart whatever befall,
still be my vision, O ruler of all.
SONG: BREAD OF THE WORLD IN MERCY BROKEN
Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: Heber/Bourgeois
Recording: Move 743142
Bread of the world in mercy broken,
wine of the soul in mercy shed,
By whom the words of life were spoken,
and in whose death our sins are dead:
Look on the heart by sorrow broken;
look on the tears by sinners shed;
And be your feast become the token
that by your grace our souls are fed.
SONG: KYRIE ELEISON
Artist: St Thomas’ Music Group, Margaret Rizza (dir)
Words/Music: Trad/Rizza
Recording: Kevin Mayhew
Kyrie, eleison
Christe, eleison
Kyrie, exaudi nos, Domine
Kyrie, eleison
Christe, eleison
Kyrie, eleison
Christe, exaudi nos, Domine.
[Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, hear us
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Christ, hear us.]
SONG: THERE’S A WIDENESS IN GOD’S MERCY
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Gough (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Faber/Bevan
Recording: Hyperion 112105
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in his justice,
Which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth’s sorrows
Are more felt than up in heaven;
There is no place where earth’s failings
Have such kindly judgment given.
For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of man’s mind;
And the heart of the eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.
But we make his love too narrow
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify his strictness
With a zeal he will not own.
There is plentiful redemption
In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members
In the sorrows of the head.
There is grace enough for thousands
Of new worlds as great as this;
There is room for fresh creations
In that upper home of bliss.
If our love were but more simple,
We should take him at his word;
And our lives would be all goodness
In the joy of Christ our Lord.
SONG: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Chisholm/Runyon
Recording: Hyperion 112105
"Great is thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
"Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed thy hand hath provided,
"Great is thy faithfulness," Lord unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Refrain:
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Refrain:
