Now the Green Blade Rises
Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.
In the grave they laid Him, love by hatred slain,
Thinking that He would never wake again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.
Forth He came at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain;
Raised from the dead, my living Lord is seen;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.
When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Your touch can call us back to life again,
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.
Words: John M. C. Crum, 1872-1958. © Oxford University
Press. All rights reserved.
Music: "Noel Nouvelet" - traditional French carol.
Song of Peace
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine;
This is my home, the country where my heart is,
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine;
But other lands have sunlight, too, and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.
Words: Lloyd Stone © 1934, 1962, Lorenz Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Music: "Finlandia" - Jean Sibelius, 1865-1957.
For the Fruits
of This Creation
For the fruits of this creation, thanks be to God;
For the gifts of every nation, thanks be to God;
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,
Silent growth while we are sleeping,
Future needs in earth's safe keeping, thanks be to God!
In the just reward of labor, God's will be done;
In the help we give our neighbor, God's will be done;
In the worldwide task of caring
For the hungry and despairing,
In the harvests we are sharing, God's will be done.
For the harvests of the Spirit, thanks be to God;
In the good we all inherit, thanks be to God;
For the wonders that astound us,
For the truths that will confound us,
Most of all, that love has found us, thanks be to God!
Words: Fred Pratt Green © 1970, Hope Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Music: "Ar Hyd Y Nos" - traditional Welsh melody.
Amazing Grace
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.
Gentle Woman Refrain: Gentle woman, quiet light
morning star, so strong and bright,
gentle Mother, peaceful dove,
teach us wisdom; teach us love.
Verse 1. You were chosen by the Father;
you were chosen for the Son.
You were chosen from all women
and for woman, shining one.
Verse 2. Blessed are you among women,
blest in turn, all women, too.
Blessed they with peaceful spirits.
Blessed they with gentle hearts.
Words & Music: Carey Landry, based on Luke 1:28
© 1975, 1978 Carey Landry and NALR. OCP Publications. All rights reserved.
Lord of All
Hopefulness
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy
whose trust, ever child-like, no cares can destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
Salve Regina
Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae,
Vita dulcedo et spes nostra salve.
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae.
Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes,
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eja ergo advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
Et Jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.
English translation:
Hail holy queen, mother of mercy,
Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve,
To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us.
And after this, our exile,
Show us the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Music: Plainchant, Mode 5. Words: Hermanus Contractus, 1013-1054, attr.
Holy God, We
Praise Thy Name
Holy God, we praise Thy Name
Lord of all we bow before Thee;
all on earth Thy scepter claim,
all in heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
everlasting is Thy reign.
Hark, the loud celestial hymn
angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and Seraphim
in unceasing chorus praising,
fill the heavens with sweet accord;
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!
Music: "Grosser Gott" - Katolisches Gesangbuch, Vienna, ca. 1774.
Words: "Te Deum Laudamus" - ca. 3rd century; "Grosser Gott, Wir Loben Dich" - translation ascr. to Ignaz Franz, 1719-1790;
English translation by Clarence A. Walworth, 1820-1900
In Paradisum
In Paradisum deducant te Angeli;
in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres,
et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem.
Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat,
et cum Lazaro quondam paupere,
aeternam habeas requiem.
English translation:
May the Angels lead you into Paradise;
may the Martyrs welcome you on your arrival,
and guide you into the holy city of Jerusalem.
May a choir of Angels welcome you,
and as with Lazarus, who was once poor,
may you have eternal rest.
Chant, Mode VII
How Great Thou Art!
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hand have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed...
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze...
(Refrain)
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin...
(Refrain)
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"
(Refrain)
Words & Music: © 1953, Stuart K. Hine, renewed 1981. Assigned to Manna Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
They'll Know We Are Christians
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they値l know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes they値l know we are Christians by our love.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
And together we値l spread the news that God is in the land.
And they値l know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes they値l know we are Christians by our love.
We will work with each other, we will work side by side,
We will work with each other, we will work side by side,
And we値l guard each one's dignity and save each one痴 pride.
And they値l know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes they値l know we are Christians by our love.
All praise to the Father, from whom all things come,
And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son,
And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.
And they値l know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes they値l know we are Christians by our love.
Words & Music: Peter Scholtes
© 1966, F.E.L. Publications, Ltd., assigned 1991 to Lorenz Corp. All rights reserved.