This Week's Zoom Hymns

 

Father Eternal

CH4 261   Old 124th

Music: Genevan Psalter, 1551, rhythm adapted
Words: Laurence Housman

 

Father eternal.mp3

1 Father Eternal, Ruler of Creation,
Spirit of Life, by whom all things are made,
through the thick darkness covering every nation,
light to our blindness, come now to our aid!
            Your kingdom come, O Lord, your will be done.

2 Races and peoples, still we stand divided,
and, sharing not our griefs, no joy can share;
by wars and tumults Love is mocked, derided,
his conquering cross no kingdom wills to bear;

3 Envious of heart, blind-eyed, with tongues confounded,
nation by nation still goes unforgiven;
in wrath and fear, by jealousies surrounded,
building proud towers which shall not reach to heaven.

4 Lust of possession causes desolations;
meekness is honoured nowhere on the earth.
Led by no star, the rulers of the nations
still fail to bring us to the blissful birth.

5 How shall we love you, holy, hidden Being,
if we love not the world which you have made?
Oh, give us purer love, for better seeing
your Word made flesh and in a manger laid.

 

Hope for the world's despair

GWA 136   Love Unknown

Music: John Nicholson Ireland
Words: Ally Barrett

 

GWA 136 Hope for the world's despair.mp3

1 Hope for the world’s despair:
we feel the nations’ pain;
can anything repair
this broken earth again?
For this we pray:
in every place
a spark of grace
to light the way.

2 Wisdom for all who bear
the future in their hand,
entrusted with the care
of this and every land.
When comes the hour,
O Lord, we pray,
inspire the way
we spend our power.

3 Honour for all who’ve paid
war’s painful, bitter price,
when duty called they made
the greatest sacrifice.
Their memory
will never cease
to cry for peace
and harmony.

4 Ease for the troubled mind
in endless conflict caught,
each soul that cannot find
the peace beyond all thought.
May they be blessed
with healing balm
for inner calm
and perfect rest.

5 Love for the human heart:
when hate grows from our fears
and inwardly we start
to turn our ploughs to spears.
Help us to sow
love’s precious seed
in word and deed,
that peace may grow.

 

Christ is the world's Redeemer

CH4 450   Moville

Music: Irish trad. mel., arr. John L. Bell
Words: St Columba, transl. Duncan Macgregor

 

Christ is the World's Redeemer.mp3

1 Christ is the world’s Redeemer,
the lover of the pure,
the fount of heavenly wisdom,
our trust and hope secure;
the armour of his soldiers,
the Lord of earth and sky;
our health while we are living,
our life when we shall die.

2 Christ has our host surrounded
with clouds of martyrs bright,
who wave their palms in triumph
and fire us for the fight.
For Christ the cross ascended
to save a world undone,
and, suffering for the sinful,
our full redemption won.

3 Down in the realm of darkness
he lay a captive bound,
but at the hour appointed
he rose, a victor crowned;
and now, to heaven ascended,
he sits upon the throne
in glorious dominion,
his Father’s and his own.

4 Glory to God the Father,
the unbegotten One;
all honour be to Jesus,
his sole-begotten Son;
and to the Holy Spirit –
the perfect Trinity.
Let all the worlds give answer,
‘Amen, so let it be’.