Harvest hymns, hymns sung in school assembly, and a hymn that became particularly meaningful to a listener after the Christchurch earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 - all in this week's hymn request programme.
Photo: Arivumathi, Creative Commons
SONG: GLORIOUS THINGS OF THEE ARE SPOKEN
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church
Words/Music: John Newton/Franz Joseph Haydn
Recording: Priory 2000
Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken
formed thee for his own abode;
on the rock of ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
thou may'st smile at all thy foes.
See, the streams of living waters,
springing from eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters
and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint, when such a river
ever flows their thirst to assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
never fails from age to age.
Saviour, if of Sion's city,
I through grace a member am,
let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
all his boasted pomp and show;
solid joys and lasting treasure
none but Sion's children know.
SONG: WE PLOUGH THE FIELDS AND SCATTER
Artist: Cambridge Singers, John Rutter (dir)
Words/Music: Mattias Claudius trans Jane Campbell/attrib Schultz
Recording: Collegium 880126
We plough the fields and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God's almighty hand,
He sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes and the sunshine,
and soft refreshing rain.
Refrain:
All good gifts around us
are sent from heaven above
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
for all His love.
He only is the maker
of all things near and far.
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star.
The wind and waves obey Him,
by Him the birds are fed;
much more to us, His children,
He gives our daily bread.
Refrain:
We thank Thee, then, O Father,
for all things bright and good,
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
No gifts have we to offer
for all Thy love imparts,
but that which Thou desirest,
our humble, thankful hearts.
Refrain:
SONG: FIRMLY I BELIEVE, AND TRULY
Artist: Choir of St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham
Words/Music: John Henry Newman/Trad arr Ralph Vaughan Williams
Recording: Priory 723
Firmly I believe and truly
God is three, and God is one;
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the son.
And I trust and hope most fully
In that manhood crucified;
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as he has died.
Simply to his grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong,
And I love supremely, solely,
Him the holy, him the strong.
And I hold in veneration,
For the love of him alone,
Holy church as his creation,
And her teachings are his own.
Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, son and Holy Ghost.
SONG: JESU, LOVER OF MY SOUL
Artist: St Chad’s Cathedral Choir
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/Joseph Parry
Recording: Priory PRCD 723
Jesu, lover of my soul,
let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
O receive my soul at last.
Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenceless head
with the shadow of thy wing.
Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
freely let me take of thee;
Spring thou up within my heart;
rise to all eternity.
SONG: WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER (IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL)
Artist: Tapestry Chamber Singers
Words/Music: Horatio Spafford/Philip Bliss
Recording: Tapestry Chamber Singers 2022
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."
Refrain:
It is well (it is well)
with my soul (with my soul);
it is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.
Refrain:
My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain:
O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
SONG: GOD OF THE POOR (BEAUTY FOR BROKENNESS)
Artist: Graham Kendrick
Words/Music: Graham Kendrick
Recording: Integrity Music 2015
Beauty for brokenness
Hope for despair
Lord, in your suffering
This is our prayer
Bread for the children
Justice, joy, peace
Sunrise to sunset
Your kingdom increase!
Shelter for fragile lives
Cures for their ills
Work for the craftsman
Trade for their skills
Land for the dispossessed
Rights for the weak
Voices to plead the cause
Of those who can't speak
Refrain:
Friend of the weak
Give us compassion we pray
Melt our cold hearts
Let tears fall like rain
Come, change our love
From a spark to a flame
Refuge from cruel wars
Havens from fear
Cities for sanctuary
Freedoms to share
Peace to the killing-fields
Scorched earth to green
Christ for the bitterness
His cross for the pain
Refrain:
Rest for the ravaged earth
Oceans and streams
Plundered and poisoned
Our future, our dreams
Lord, end our madness
Carelessness, greed
Make us content with
The things that we need
Refrain:
Lighten our darkness
Breathe on this flame
Until your justice
Burns brightly again
Until the nations
Learn of your ways
Seek your salvation
And bring you their praise
Refrain:
SONG: GREAT RING OF LIGHT
Artist: Dunedin City Choir
Words/Music: Colin Gibson
Recording: Private 810
Great ring of light, true circle with no ending;
clear beam so bright, whose purpose knows no bending;
O Word of God, in darkness always shining out.
A man who cried, up on a cross at Calvary;
for him who died, an empty tomb, a mystery;
O risen Christ, all pain and loss transcending.
Immortal fire of love forever yearning;
flame of desire for our salvation burning;
Spirit divine, our friend, and present comforter.
The light shines still, the eternal Word has spoken;
on Calvary's hill the power of death is broken;
and I receive the life, the joy, the loving.
SONG: IN A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE WALK IN DARKNESS
Artist: Choir of Canterbury Cathedral
Words/Music: Robert Willis/Richard Shephard
Recording: DCC CD101
In a world where people walk in darkness
Let us turn our faces to the light,
to the light of God revealed in Jesus,
to the Daystar scattering our night.
Chorus:
For the light is stronger than the darkness
And the day will overcome the night.
Though the shadows linger all around us,
Let us turn our faces to the light.
In a world where suff'ring of the helpless
Casts a shadow all along the way,
Let us bear the Cross of Christ with gladness
And proclaim the dawning of the day.
Chorus
For the light is stronger than the darkness
And the day will overcome the night.
Though the shadows linger all around us,
Let us turn our faces to the light.
Let us light a candle in the darkness,
In the face of death, a sign of life.
As a sign of hope where all seems hopeless,
As a sign of peace in place of strife.
Chorus:
