LORD, FOR THE YEARS Your love has kept and guided,

Urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,

Sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:

Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

 

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,

Speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,

Teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:

Lord of the word, receive Your people’s praise.

 

Lord, for our land in this our generation,

Spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care:

For young and old, for commonwealth and nation,

Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

 

Lord, for our world where men disown and doubt You,

Loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,

Hungry and helpless, lost indeed without You:

Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

 

Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us –

Self on the cross and Christ upon the throne,

Past put behind us, for the future take us:

Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

    Timothy Dudley-Smith.

 

 

DEAR LORD AND FATHER OF MANKIND,

Forgive our foolish ways;

Reclothe us in our rightful mind;

In purer lives Thy service find,

In deeper reverence, praise,

In deeper reverence, praise.

 

In simple trust like theirs who heard,

Beside the Syrian sea,

The gracious calling of the Lord,

Let us, like them, without a word

Rise up and follow Thee,

Rise up and follow Thee.

 

O sabbath rest by Galilee!

O calm of hills above,

Where Jesus knelt to share with Thee

The silence of eternity,

Interpreted by love,

Interpreted by love.

 

With that deep hush subduing all

Our words and works that drown

The tender whisper of Thy call,

As noiseless let Thy blessing fall

As fell Thy manna down,

As fell Thy manna down.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,

 

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of Thy peace,

The beauty of Thy peace.

 

Breathe through the heats of our desire

Thy coolness and Thy balm;

Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;

Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,

O still small voice of calm,

O still small voice of calm!

     John G. Whittier.

 

ABOVE ALL POWERS, ABOVE ALL KINGS,

Above all nature and all created things;

Above all wisdom and all the ways of man,

You were here before the world began.

 

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones,

Above all wonders the world has ever known;

Above all wealth and treasures of the earth,

There’s no way to measure what You’re worth.

 

Crucified, laid behind the stone;

You lived to die, rejected and alone;

Like a rose trampled on the ground,

You took the fall and thought of me,

          Above all.

      Lenny LeBlanc & Paul Baloche

 

 

THINE BE THE GLORY,

Risen, conquering Son;

Endless is the victory

Thou o’er death hast won.

Angels in bright raiment

Rolled the stone away,

Kept the folded grave-clothes

Where Thy body lay.

 

Thine be the glory,

Risen, conquering Son;

Endless is the victory

Thou o’er death hast won!

 

Lo, Jesus meets us,

Risen from the tomb!

Lovingly He greets us,

Scatters fear and gloom.

Let the church with gladness

Hymns of triumph sing,

For her Lord now liveth,

Death hath lost its sting.

 

No more we doubt Thee,

Glorious Prince of life;

Life is naught without Thee:

Aid us in our strife;

Make us more than conquerors,

Through Thy deathless love;

Lead us in Thy triumph

To Thy home above.

Edmond Louis Budry.
Contributors:   Revd Graham Summers, Deborah Yeates, Roy Bentham, John Youers
Production:   David Carter