Hymns on Sunday, 5 March 2023

In this week’s programme we’ve hymns for the second Sunday in Lent, and we’re marking some recent dates in the liturgical calendar: World Day of Prayer on 3 March and St David’s Day on 1 March.

St Luke's Church, Remuera, Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Paul Bushnell

SONG: O WORSHIP THE KING

Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral
Words/Music: Robert Grant/William Croft
Recording: Helios CDH 88036

O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, thy power hath founded of old;
hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

O measureless might! Ineffable love!
While angels delight to hymn thee above,
Thy humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall all sing thy praise.

SONG: WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS

Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: John Monsell/Anon
Recording: Move 743142

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
gold of obedience and incense of lowliness
bring, and adore him; the Lord is his Name!

Low at his feet lay thy burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for thee,
comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.

Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine;
truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to lay on His shrine.

These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the Name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling, and hope for our fear.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
gold of obedience and incense of lowliness
bring, and adore him; the Lord is his name!

SONG: LORD, FOR THY TENDER MERCY’S SAKE

Artist: Voices of Ascension, Denis Keene (dir)
Words/Music: Richard 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: GOD IS LOVE, LET HEAV’N ADORE HIM

Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh
Words/Music: Timothy Rees/Hubert Parry
Recording: Priory PRCD 736

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: THERE IS A LONGING IN OUR HEARTS

Artist: OCP Session Choir
Words/Music: Anne Quigley
Recording: Journeysongs 2012

Refrain:
There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord, for you to reveal yourself to us.
There is a longing in our hearts for love we only find in you, our God.

For justice, for freedom, for mercy, hear our prayer
In sorrow, in grief, be near, hear our prayer, O God.
Refrain:

For wisdom, for courage, for comfort, hear our prayer.
In weakness, in fear, be near, hear our prayer, O God.
Refrain:

SONG: PRAYER FOR PEACE

Artist: St Thomas’ Music Group
Words/Music: Margaret Rizza
Recording: Kevin Mayhew

Lead me from death to life,
from falsehood to truth;
lead me from despair to hope,
from fear to trust;
lead me from hate to love,
from war to peace,
let peace fill our hearts,
our world, our universe,
let peace fill our hearts,
our world, our universe,
peace, peace, peace.

SONG: ABERYSTWYTH

Artist: Woolston Brass/David Gallaher (dir)
Music: J Parry
Recording: Private 930

SONG: CALON LÂN

Artist: Bryn Terfel (bbar), Bryan Davies Black Mountain Chorus, Risca Male Choir, Welsh National Opera Orch
Words/Music: Daniel James/John Hughes
Recording: DG 463 593