Sunday, 14 February 2016

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT, LISTENER REQUESTS

SONG: GOD IS LOVE, LET HEAV’N ADORE HIM

Artist: Choir of Christ’s College, Cambridge, David Rowland (dir), Simon Jacobs (organ)
Words/Music: Rees/Caesar
Recording: Priory PRCD 721

God is love: let heaven adore him;
God is love: let earth rejoice;
let creation sing before him,
and exalt him with one voice.
He who laid the earth's foundation,
he who spread the heavens above,
he who breathes through all creation,
he is love eternal love.

God is love, and is enfolding
all the world in one embrace;
with unfailing grasp is holding
every child of every race;
and when human hearts are breaking
under sorrow's iron rod,
that same sorrow, that same aching
wrings with pain the heart of God,

God is love: and though with blindness
sin afflicts and clouds the will,
God's eternal loving-kindness
holds us fast and guides us still.
Sin and death and hell shall never
o'er us final triumph gain;
God is love, so Love for ever
o'er the universe must reign.

SONG: LORD, FOR THY TENDER MERCY’S SAKE

Artist: Voices of Ascension, Denis Keene (dir)
Words/Music: Blow/Farrant
Recording: Delos DE 3227

Lord, for thy tender mercy's sake,
lay not our sins to our charge,
but forgive that is past
and give us grace to amend our sinful lives;
to decline from sin and incline to virtue,
that we may walk in a perfect heart
before thee now and evermore.
Amen.

SONG: FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS

Artist: Choir of Gloucester Cathedral, David Briggs (dir), Ian Ball (organ)
Words/Music: Smyttan adapted Potts/Herbst
Recording: Priory PRCD 704

Forty days and forty nights
Thou wast fasting in the wild;
Forty days and forty nights
Tempted, and yet undefiled.

Sunbeams scorching all the day,
Chilly dewdrops nightly shed,
Prowling beasts about thy way,
Stones thy pillow, earth thy bed.

Let us thine endurance share,
And awhile from joys abstain,
With thee watching unto prayer,
Strong with thee to suffer pain.

And if Satan, vexing sore,
Flesh or spirit should assail,
Thou, his vanquisher before,
Grant we may not faint or fail.

So shall we have peace divine,
Holier gladness ours shall be;
Round us too shall angels shine,
Such as ministered to thee.

Keep, O keep us, Saviour dear,
Ever constant by thy side;
That with thee we may appear
At the eternal Eastertide.

SONG: FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS

Artist: Choir of St John’s Cathedral, Napier
Words/Music: Kaan/attrib M Haydn
Recording: RNZ 807

For the healing of the nations,
Lord, we pray with one accord;
for a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords;
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.

All that kills abundant living,
let it from the earth be banned;
pride of status, race, or schooling,
dogmas that obscure your plan.
In our common quest for justice
may we hallow life's brief span.

You, Creator God, have written
your great name on humankind;
for our growing in your likeness
bring the life of Christ to mind,
that by our response and service
earth its destiny may find.

SONG: BE STILL, MY SOUL

Artist: Libera, Robert Prizeman (dir)
Words/Music: Von Schlegel/Sibelius arr Prizeman
Recording: EMI 370523

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

SONG: PSALM 23

Artist: St Paul’s Cathedral Choir
Words/Music: Psalm 23/Stewart
Recording: Hyperion CDP11002

The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture, and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul, and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me; thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Amen.

SONG: HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING

Artist: Con Anima (St Patrick’s College, Wellington), Roger Powdrell (dir). Lance Mundy (piano)
Words/Music: Anon/Lowry
Recording: Private 1469

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul –
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His –
How can I keep from singing?

SONG: SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER

Artist: OCP Session Choir
Words/Music: Lowry/Lowry
Recording: OCP

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod;
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?

Refrain:
Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
the beautiful, the beautiful river
gathered with the saints at the river
that flows by the throne of God.

Soon we'll reach the shining river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.
Refrain:

SONG: BE THOU MY VISION

Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh
Words/Music: Anon trans Byrne, versified Hull/Trad
Recording: Priory PRCD 376

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;
be thou ever with me, and I with thee, Lord;
be thou my great Father: and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armour, thou my true might,
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my high tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
be thou mine inheritance now and always
be thou and thou only, the first in my heart
O Sovereign of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of Heaven, thou Heaven’s bright sun!
O grant me its joys after victory is won,
great heart of my own heart whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O ruler of all.