Recently I was looking for hymns for our Covenant aservice and using the Word 'find' tool on the Songs of Fellowship .rtf files withthe word 'promise.'  In book 3 I found the following hymn which I think is really beautiful.  We sang it to Blaenwern rather than trying to learn the original tune - the advantage of this hymn is that the 87.87D metre is such that many well known tunes can be used.  Apologies for the formatting - I don't speak html so I can't seem to get it to do what I want and had to use a tilda as a verse separator - line spacing I could not get it to do without completely re-typing it! See what you think:

Seen in every human birth;

You have planned each new beginning:

Who could hope for greater worth?

Hear our prayer for those we cherish,

Claim our children as Your own:

In the fertile ground of childhood

May eternal seed be sown.

~

Burning in the years of youth:

Strength to face tomorrow's challenge,

Zest for life and zeal for truth.

In the choice of friends and partners,

When ideas and values form,

May the message of Your kingdom

Be the guide, the goal, the norm.

~

Lord, we thank You for the harvest

Of the settled, middle years:

Times when work and home can prosper,

When life's richest fruit appears;

But when illness, stress and hardship

Fill so many days with dread,

May Your love renew the vision

Of a clearer road ahead.

~

Lord, we thank You for the beauty

Of a heart at last mature:

Crowned with peace and rich in wisdom,

Well-respected and secure;

But to those who face the twilight

Frail, bewildered, lacking friends,

Lord, confirm Your gracious offer:

Perfect life which never ends.

Martin E Leckebusch © Kevin Mayhew 1999