This morning I'm playing 'hunt the hymn' for the service built around Acts 15. I found this one, which I probably won't use, but seemed to speak into a wider context where churches are full of people who are hurt and who cause hurt, where real life takes its toll and where, despite or through it all, God chooses to work. I like the honesty.
Lord, you have seen your church's needs;
our clamour you have heard:
at every point make known your mind;
apply to us your word.
When leaders argue, workers fail,
and faithful saints lose heart,
grant to us all your peace, your strength;
your love to us impart.
When illness strikes or loss invades
or ranks are thinned by death,
then come among us with new hope
and with reviving breath.
When Christians are in rival groups
and churches torn by strife,
make us repent, be reconciled,
and so restored to life.
We plead, O Christ, that when you come
you will find faith on earth;
one church awakened by one truth,
alive by one new birth.
Christopher Idle from Philippians 1 and 2 © Christopher Idle/Jubilate Hymns Ltd CM
Comments
It's certainly honest! I like Iona's 'We cannot measure how you heal' as another option. Slightly more general in its words, but very evocative.
'We cannot measure how you heal' is a good one - we do it to Ye Banks and Braes of Bonnie Doon
Also this one, to the tune of "All through the night"
Lord, we come to ask your healing, teach us of love;
All unspoken shame revealing, teach us of love.
Take our selfish thoughts and actions, petty feuds, divisive factions,
Hear us now to you appealing, teach us of love.
Soothe away our pain and sorrow, hold us in love;
Grace we cannot buy or borrow, hold us in love.
Though we see both dark and danger, though we spurn both friend and stranger,
Though we often dread tomorrow, hold us in love.
When the bread is raised and broken, fill us with love;
Words of consecration spoken, fillus with love.
As our grateful prayers continue, make the faith that we have in you
More than just an empty token, fill us with love.
Help us live for one another, bind us in love;
Stranger, neighbour, father, mother - bind us in love.
All are equal at your table, through your Spirit make us able
To embrace as sister, brother, bind us in love.
Jean Holloway copyright 1995, 2005 Kevin Mayhew Ltd.
3rd verse obviously communion - you might need to adapt the words slightly depending how Baptist your congregation are (eg held instead of raised, words of institution instead of words of consecration)
Yup, both of those are great, and in Common Ground, one of the hymnbooks we use regularly. We aren't too book-bound, I regularly trawl Hymnquest and put things on sheets... so BPW/CG/CH4/SOF/MP/JP/KS/etc etc!
I do pick up the bread to break it (it makes it visible) but, being a proper Baptist (!) don't consecrate it.
As for word tweaks... these are a speciality!!!