Hymns on Sunday, 20 July 2025

RNZ News

18-07-2025

The
Prayer of St Francis
is a lovely peace prayer that came to be attributed to the saint around 1920, when somebody had it printed on the back of card with St Francis's picture on it. When South African songwriter Sebastian Temple adapted the words of the prayer and set them to music by in the 1960s, he kept the St Francis attribution along with his own title:
Make me a channel of your peace
.
St Francis of Assisi - Albert Chevallier Tayler (oil on canvas, 1898)
Photo:
/ Public Domain
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/C H Parry
Recording: Marquis
Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim,
and publish abroad his wonderful name;
the name all-victorious of Jesus extol;
his kingdom is glorious and rules over all.
God ruleth on high, almighty to save;
though hid from our sight, his presence we have;
the great congregation his triumph shall sing,
ascribing salvation to Jesus our King.
"Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!"
let all cry aloud, and honour the Son;
the praises of Jesus the angels proclaim,
fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb.
Then let us adore and give him his right:
all glory and power, all wisdom and might,
all honour and blessing with angels above
and thanks never ceasing for infinite love.
Amen.
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Psalm 23 (Rous)/Bain arr Jacob
Recording: Hyperion 112105
The Lord's my Shepherd; I'll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
My soul He doth restore again;
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of blessedness,
E'en for His own name's sake.
Yea, though I pass through shadowed vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head with oil Thou dost anoint,
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my days
Will surely follow me;
And in my heart Forevermore
Thy dwelling place shall be.
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey/Martin Neary (dir), Martin Baker (org)
Words/Music: Anon/Temple
Recording: Griffin 224018
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there is doubt true faith in you.
Refrain:
Oh, master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness only light
And where there's sadness ever joy
Refrain:
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all man that we receive
In dying that we are born to eternal life.
Refrain:
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there is doubt true faith in you.
Artist: Scottish Philharmonic Singers, Ian McCrorie (dir), John Langdon (organ)
Words/Music: Paraphrase by William Barton/Anon
Recording: Abbey 282830
O thou my soul, bless God the Lord;
and all that in me is
Be stirred up his holy name
to magnify and bless.
Bless, O my soul, the Lord thy God,
and not forgetful be
Of all his gracious benefits
he hath bestow'd on thee.
All thine iniquities who doth
most graciously forgive:
Who thy diseases all and pains
doth heal, and thee relieve.
Who doth redeem thy life, that thou
to death may'st not go down;
Who thee with loving-kindness doth
and tender mercies crown:
Who with abundance of good things
doth satisfy thy mouth;
So that, ev'n as the eagle's age,
renewed is thy youth.
Artist: Haatea Kapa Haka, David Tapene (dir)
Words/Music: From Psalm 121
Recording: Private 2023
He aroha nou e Ihu
Tenei ra i kitea ai
Tiakina hoki matou
I te roa o tenei po.
Atawhaitia mai e koe
Mau ano ka ora ai.
Tenei matou he manene
Noho waenga i te he,
Nei ra tiakina iho,
I o matou hoa whawhai
Tino awhitia e koe,
Ki ou ringa atawhai
Ka pahure enei wahi
Me nga ra e ora ai
A ka tata ki te mate
Whakakahangia e koe
Tangohia ki te rangi
Okioki atu ai.
Amine.
It is your love Lord Jesus!
that we witness as you,
watch over us,
through this long night.
Take care of us, for
you are our Saviour.
We are mere pilgrims
who live in the midst of sin.
Watch over us,
from our enemies.
Embrace us fully
In your loving arms
When time has passed
And the days numbered,
Nearing the time of death,
Grant us strength,
To be taken to heaven,
For a complete rest.
Amen.
Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (piano)
Words/Music: David Clark and Witi Ihimaera/David Hamilton
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300
Companions let us pray together,
in this place affirm our faith.
God who made us is here among us;
we stand together in God's grace.
Refrain:
We are whanau, we are one,
brothers, sisters of the Son.
We are reaching for our freedom,
the prize that Christ has won.
The broken Christ stands here among us,
shares our suffering and our pain;
in breaking bread we find empowerment
to live in aroha again.
Refrain:
The risen Christ brings light and laughter,
celebrates the life we share;
the poured out wine of Christ's self-giving
inspires us to reach out and care.
Refrain:
Now let us sing to God who loves us
and accepts us as we are;
Go out from here and live that message,
proclaim our oneness near and far.
Refrain:
Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: Heber/Bourgeois
Recording: Move 743142
Bread of the world in mercy broken,
wine of the soul in mercy shed,
By whom the words of life were spoken,
and in whose death our sins are dead:
Look on the heart by sorrow broken;
look on the tears by sinners shed;
And be your feast become the token
that by your grace our souls are fed.
Artist: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia, John Rutter (conductor)
Words/Music: /Book of Common Prayer/John Rutter
Recording: Collegium CSCD 522
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord:
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you and remain with you always.
Amen.