Mis-hear How can they choose to treat faith As an excuse to live lives filled with hate? How can they still promote war As though that’s what your peace fights on for? How can they dare define love As a word meant for them to shun us? How can they collect their wealth And keep […]
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Scars that are invisible Hurts that don’t heal Attitudes that are risible Stigma that’s real And as you carry me Just like the cross I’m not a burden to you I’m not lost Scars that are complicated Wounds that are deep Traumas that are conflated Agony that won’t sleep And as you find me Naked […]
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The famine in the land is over. It’s time to go home. The harvest is ready. It’s time to reap. The table is set. It’s time to gather. The banquet is served. It’s time to eat. The labourers are few. The harvest is ready The need is still great. The hunger is still real. We have […]
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Reflection from a quiet day at Dale Abbey Derbyshire You took me in When the world abandoned my hope You gave me breath And I drew on your vastness and scope You taught me peace When rest and calm seemed out of reach You rescued me When I was far off you called me without […]
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Tune: St Anne (O God our help in ages past) Do you not know, have you not heard God’s love embraces all? A gentle touch, a helpful word A reassuring call Have you not heard, do you not know God’s love embraces you? God’s love holds you and God’s love grows Refreshes and renews Do […]
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your flawed heaven I don’t want to go to your flawed heaven The one that’s still full of draconian rules The one where the bread is still unleavened That dismisses those like me as fools I don’t want to go to your paradise The one that is clinically cynically clean Where you still hand me your biased […]
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Tune: St Andrew, ‘Jesus calls us o’er the tumult’ Written in Derby Cathedral under the ‘Peace Doves’ sculpture Come, inspire our lives with mercy Bring your peace on wings of doves Take us to a place where we can Learn to love as you love us May your message live within us Words to comfort […]
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Teach me the habits that love you Show me the visions that ring true Shower on me the light that shines through In all of this hold me Give me the courage to reach out Help me to challenge where I find doubt Let me grow so I am curious about How you are holding […]
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New verses for ‘A new commandment I give unto you’ originally written by Paul Leddington Wright. A new way of living I offer to you It will free you from prisons And fill you anew It will free you from prisons And fill you anew Go out and spread the love That my salvation offers […]
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Distract us From overthinking situations Beyond our control Distract us From being led astray By the lure of temptations Distract us From the vain pursuit of fame Wealth and status Focus our hearts On following and nurturing Shepherd us well A version for personal devotion: Distract me From overthinking situations Beyond my control Distract me […]
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Be still Let the sound of nothing absorb you Be still Let time be motionless and free Be still Let clouds roll by in an unending sky Be still Don’t let thoughts intrude – let go Be still Grasp the precious freedom of now Be still This is just us, you and I, in communion […]
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There are two versions of this communion prayer — singular for personal devotion and plural for corporate worship. Version for personal devotion: This time and place is yours I’m your guest You invite me at my worst And at my best You inhabit this thin place And clothe it in your grace This is where […]
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To the tune ‘Angel voices‘ by Edwin Monk Mountains reach to give you glory Valleys echo praise Heav’n and earth repeat your story Life shows us your way All creation’s loud ovation Celebrates you night and day Daily life applauds your blessings Love expressed below In our prayerful tongues confessing Love we need to show […]
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The singular (me/I) might be replaced with the plural (us/we) for a prayer to include in corporate worship. Your hands hold me They meet me in prayer They comfort my spirit They show me that you care Your hands reach out to me They tell me that love forgives They lead me to a place […]
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The tune is ‘Davos’ by Michael Baughen, used by Timothy Dudley-Smith for his hymn, ‘I lift my eyes to the quiet hills’. It’s a challenging tune, but the words do fit. I see a star And a stable bare And a baby a mother lays On manger hay On Christmas Day This baby Emanuel An […]
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Bleak Gaia* A climate kairos worship resource responding to the climate crisis All at peace Slowly rotating Tomorrow creeps Procrastinating Swirled in mists Alone in space Where we exist On a wafer-thin face Clothed in blue Silently screaming And wrapped anew Resplendently dreaming Suspended and drifting A mountain of wealth And angels are lifting More […]
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Presence My presence makes a difference I am not just here for show Nor just to make up the numbers I am here to help us grow My involvement has a purpose I intend to play my part I’m not here to be the periphery My place is at the heart My words can make […]
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Celebrating World Communion Sunday, first Sunday of October Tune: Abbot’s Leigh (Glorious things of thee are spoken) Inspired by morning worship at Abbots Road United Reformed Church, Leicester Gather us, let your spirit move us Breathe love so it inhabits our hearts Where you meet us, we feel encouraged When you lead us, our new […]
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Tune: Williams, ‘Yes God is good’ Do you bring peace, will your peace last? Do you bring justice to this place? Do you bring hope when all is lost? Do we respond and share your grace? Do you plant seeds on barren land? Do you bring wine to quench our thirst? Do you speak words […]
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Witness, hymn by Sam Goodman, UK hymnist Tune: Go tell it on the mountain Chorus Breathe life into our witness Guide us in ways that share your message Rescue with your forgiveness And hold us safe in your love Remind us we are cherished Revive our very souls Restore us in your image Redeem us, […]
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To be spoken or sung to the tune of either Stuttgart (Come thou long expected Jesus) or Sussex. Verses 1-4 might be used for the opening hymn in worship, while verse 5 might be used as a benediction or words of sending out. Send your spirit as we gather Breath your love into our hearts […]
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This is jubilee together Tune: Dim Ond Iesu – Here is love vast as the ocean This is Jubilee together Here is Good News for the poor Love united, love forever Sharing hope of faith reborn Let us fix our eyes on Jesus May we learn to live the way And rejoice in how grace […]
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tune – New Winchester, ‘Ride on, ride on in majesty’ Rejoice in love that brings us here That brings us hope and holds us dear Let’s share God’s love with those we meet At home, at church, at work, in streets Immersed in love, restored by grace Let your redemption fill this place Transform our […]
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You could have ridden a stallion Up to the city gates Instead you chose a donkey As palm leaves strew your way You could have left the temple With its money making schemes Instead you turned the tables And denounced the den of thieves You could have just had supper And not blessed the bread […]
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Across the turmoil, amidst the snares Though all the darkest days, weighed down by care When it feels like no-one is even there Carry me home When burdens are heavy and getting worse When others mock, and spit & curse When failure breaks the plans I’d rehearsed Carry me home When the world is fragile […]
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Shepherding hymn Tune: St Clement – The day though gavest Be with us in ways that wrap us in communion Unite us to be your church once more While we are apart bring us closer together In ways that your justice and mercy restore Be always beside us, your word speaks to guide us A […]
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(somewhere between prose/poetry and prayer) So many of my prayers Are in the ether in hospital chapels Littered at school gates Waiting for the no.29 bus to town And many of my prayers Are wept over graveyards Scattered like confetti at weddings Joyful at newborn pics A lot of my prayers scramble to decide What […]
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Tune: Westminster Abbey (Christ is made the sure foundation) Love eternal, here among us Breathing hope into every life Love from heaven, love descending Walking humbly and by our side Holding, healing, love revealing Love once broken, crucified Love enduring, here to save us Here to lift us away from hate Love redeemed and resurrected […]
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A Carol for Advent and Christmas Tune: O Holy Night Light showers down, the darkness cannot conquer A hope now dawns and the world has a chance Peace filters in, the hope of God appearing In a form that we don’t understand A baby born to save and to redeem us As heaven stoops to […]
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Tune: Slane, an old Irish folk tune (Be thou my vision). You can listen here. Try it out a couple times, as the words do fit beautifully. Come to us in worship Bring us closer to you And as our voices rise Your love shines through Your gifts to us encourage Your power makes […]
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Tune: Hereford A voice for the voiceless A promise of forgiveness A chance to be A people of blessing A call to share love that God richly gives so freely A love that encompasses A world that needs its healing A voice in the darkness To shine a light on visions That show us the […]
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Tune: love unknown (My song is love unknown), composed by John Ireland in 1918 Your love invites me in To shelter in your peace To know the hope you bring To feel how you can release You set me free So I can be Eternally The child you see Your love rebuilds my trust You […]
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Based on the tune of St Clement – ‘The day though gavest’ Be with us in ways that wrap us in communion Unite us to be your church once more While we are apart bring us closer together In ways that your justice and mercy restore Be always beside us your word speaks to guide […]
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Tune – Monk (All things bright and beautiful) Chorus Take our lives to live for you In ways that serve and bless Loving Christ in all we do In all our lives confess Lead us where we are needed To show your love is true In all things let us witness How great love comes […]
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Tune: Brightest and best are the sons of the morning Bread for the hungry A feast for the famine now Prepare a table To feed us and share Broken in sacrifice Dying to save us This gift you gave us Is your love and care Wine for the thirsty Your blood poured so readily Given […]
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Tune: In my life Lord be glorified, by Bob Kilpatrick Stand among us Pour out your hope, let your grace flow Take our burdens Hold us in your great love Come and rescue Save us from fear, make your Word clear Come and heal us Hold us in your great love Lighten darkness Shine down […]
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So how do I know what you intend for me? What can I draw on to find the strength that I need? What word can comfort, what arms can embrace So I hear your words calling and look at your face? So how do I go from where I find myself now? How do you […]
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The prayer Tune: Crüger, Hail to the Lord’s anointed In tenderness enfold us, engage with us in prayer And as you gently hold us, remind us that you’re there Send light into our darkness Breathe love into our lives Send blessings down upon us Let hope and mercy thrive Be in the prayer we offer, […]
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Tune: Lobe den Herren ‘Praise to the Lord’ Bring us your peace Wrap us gently in love that can calm us Save us from fear And protect us from hurts that can harm us And as you heal Show us your mercy is real Live in our hearts and refresh us Bring us your hope […]
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Tune: Was lebet was schwebet, O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness Refresh our lives bring us back to this Holy place Where we feel held in the love that you show Let mercy flow, hold us tenderly in your grace Build up your church let our love for you grow Restore in […]
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