Sunday Audio Service – Easter 6 – Holy Communion – 14/5/23
IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might.
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all life Thou givest, to both great and small.
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all.
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish; but naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight.
All laud we would render: O help us to see,
’Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee.
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
Walter Chalmers Smith.
________________________________________________
ALL I ONCE HELD DEAR, built my life upon,
All this world reveres, and wars to own,
All I once thought gain I have counted loss;
Spent and worthless now, compared to this.
Knowing You, Jesus,
Knowing You, there is no greater thing.
You’re my all, You’re the best,
You’re my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.
Now my heart’s desire is to know You more,
To be found in You and known as Yours.
To possess by faith what I could not earn,
All-surpassing gift of righteousness.
Oh, to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings.
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with You to live and never die.
Graham Kendrick
_____________________________________________
O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED
To serve Thee to the end.
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend.
I shall not fear the battle,
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway,
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
O let me feel Thee near me.
The world is ever near.
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear.
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within.
But Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
O let me hear Thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will.
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control.
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servants be.
And, Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end.
O give me grace to follow
My Master and my Friend.
O let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own.
My hope to follow duly,
Is in Thy strength alone.
O guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end.
And then in heaven receive me,
My Saviour and my Friend.
John Ernest Bode.
_________________________________________________________
PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Brothers and sisters, draw near,
Praise Him in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee.
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee:
Ponder anew,
What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord, who doth nourish thy life and restore thee,
Fitting thee well for the tasks that are ever before thee,
Then to thy need
He like a mother doth speed,
Spreading the wings of grace o’er thee.
Praise to the Lord, who when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease,
Turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.
Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light,
Chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again:
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Joachim Neander.
