Could we touch the face of heaven
To the Welsh Lullaby “Suo-Gan”
Could we touch the face of heaven,
Could we see the smile of God;
Then
we’d know we are forgiven,
Through our living loving Lord.
For the mind of God will teach us,
And God’s heart will
lead us on;
Christ’s own hope will never leave us,
Wake! we see eternal Dawn.
Would the Son’s light lift upon us,
Through our
country’s misty rain;
Spirit’s wind impress upon
us,
No-one weeps or laughs in vain.
Could each hill and
glen reveal us,
Rock from which our life is hewn;
Rivers soothe and forests hide us,
Peace and prayer within are born.
Could
we still a baby’s crying,
When her mother has no food;
Could we help an old man’s dying,
With the kindly blessed Word.
Could we kill the heart
of evil,
When it murders life so brief;
Could we hope as one together,
That
this world be free from grief.
Would the Saviour’s
Life remake us,
Through His bleeding dying cross;
Would His rising ever save us,
Deem
our own deserved loss.
Would His healing ever reach us,
Help us breathe and live and move;
Tender words at once restore us,
God’s salvation
we will prove.
Could we touch the face of heaven,
Could we see the smile of God;
Then
we’d know we are forgiven,
Through our living loving Lord.
For the mind of God will teach us,
And God’s heart will lead us on;
Christ’s
own hope will never leave us,
Wake! we see eternal Dawn.
Copyright
Robert
Alexander Anderson 2004
O Living God we cannot see You
To the American Folk Tune “Shenandoah”
O living God we cannot see You
For our minds are sore
divided,
Unfocussed vain perceive You,
Inward night waits for the dawn
Of long eternal Christ light.
We walk by
faith and not by seeing
Each one seeks the way to heaven,
Our spirits sigh with longing,
What
we hope must all be true
Your Peace confirms within us.
O Jesus Christ, we were not with You
When You walked on earth among us,
And children hugged and kissed You,
When Your blood
fell to the ground
Our lovely dying Saviour.
O how we long to be empowered
Healing
gifts and comfort strengthen,
With words redeeming guidance,
Binding wounds and aching hearts
In all our human wanting.
O Spirit True
it’s hard to know You
As You breathe here elemental,
Bring joy to our existence,
Draw
us near to You we pray
And for our life salvation.
O Father Son and Holy Spirit
Trinity
of love and passion,
Embrace and recognise us,
Welcome us into Your heart
And
Your eternal dwelling.
Copyright
Robert Alexander Anderson 2007
Cross of Christ
For Young
People
To the tune "Edelweiss”
Cross of Christ, cross of Christ,
Sign of life everlasting;
Empty grave, ris’n to
save,
Lord returning within us.
Symbol of grace and redeeming love,
Gather us around you;
Kneeling ground, mercy
found,
Freed from karma forever.
Cross of Christ, cross of gold,
Bling for wealthy and
famous;
Novelty, jewellery,
Knowing not its true purpose.
Symbol
of grace and redeeming love…
Cross of
Christ, cross of faith,
Life and health flowing wellspring;
Calming stress, tenderness,
Soul
and conscience forgiven.
Symbol of grace and redeeming love…
Cross of Christ, cross of hope,
Save from spiritual danger;
Worlds
exist, eyes have missed,
Power to injure and harm us.
Symbol of grace and redeeming love…
Cross of Christ, cross of love,
Grief
and sorrow now over;
Battle done, victory won,
Amnesty never ceasing.
Symbol
of grace and redeeming love…
Copyright
Robert Alexander Anderson 2007
This is the best hour
Wedding
Hymn
To the tune “Highland Cathedral”
with refrain
This
is the best hour in our blessed lives,
Joining the ranks of husbands
and of wives;
Friends gather here to worship sing and pray,
On this our very special wedding day.
Lord Jesus Christ you are welcome here,
Let
your Spirit come down, and draw us near;
Bless and anoint
these our vows we pray,
Send us on your own sacred Way.
Love is eternal as the life of heaven,
Gifted in Jesus Christ to men and women;
Creation’s joy is echoed round the world,
Whenever
human love is first declared.
Lord Jesus Christ…
Light of the world shine on our happiness,
Angels and saints applaud our promises;
Earth sun and skies become the honour guard,
Visibly
speak about the living Word.
Lord Jesus Christ…
May we together serve our Saviour’s will,
In grace and peace of heart our call fulfil;
Stepping through time into eternity,
Rising
as children of Christ’s family.
Lord Jesus Christ…
This is the best hour in our blessed lives,
Joining the ranks of husbands and of wives;
Friends gather here to worship sing and pray,
On this
our very special wedding day.
Copyright
Robert Alexander Anderson 2001
O Lamb of God
for Holy Communion
To
the tune “Plaisir d’Amour“
O
Lamb of God You save this world from its sin;
Grant us your peace,
may Your mercy forgive within.
This bread and wine may we
take to our souls’ own good;
Fill up our minds
and our hearts with eternal food.
O Lamb of
God Whose flesh was stripped from the bone;
Heal us from ill
and disease that Your wounds have borne.
This bread and wine
etc etc
O Lamb of God whose blood fell down
from the tree;
Atone for all and assure us that truth makes free.
This bread and wine etc etc
O Lamb of God You rose again from our death;
Inspire
our living with Your own eternal breath.
This bread and wine
etc etc
O Lamb of God Who died rejected in love;
Bless us we pray with the gifts of Your life above.
This bread and wine etc etc
O Lamb of God You save this world from its sin;
Grant
us your peace and your mercy to live within.
Copyright
Robert Alexander Anderson 2007
Lord we are thankful for all your love
Celebration Hymn
(To the Theme from “Dances
with Wolves“)
Lord we are thankful for
all your love,
Shown in the years passed in every way.
Each precious gift of life from above,
Counting our blessings on every day.
This
awesome planet is hearth and home,
For the short time we are
only lent.
Help us conserve and safeguard to come,
And keep and care for this earthly tent.
Lord we are thankful for all you give,
Kind
providence more than we can say.
All that is wanted for us to
live,
Let that be for our world’s harmony.
This sacred place is for praise and prayer,
In years unborn let songs ever ring.
Down through the
ages may people dare,
To meet our risen Christ servant king.
Lord we are thankful for living faith,
Inspiring us through all our life space.
Jesus’ self giving power Spirit breath,
Leading
us forward to His embrace.
Copyright
Robert Alexander Anderson 2008
Come to me and seek my rest
To the Tune “The White Rose of Athens“
When all our prayers may seem to be unanswered
And heaven’s gates are to us closed and firmly shut;
Our souls within shed silent tears unnumbered
We feel
forsaken wracked by self increasing doubt.
Come to me and
seek my rest,
I am gentle humble hearted;
Learn from me how you may best,
Be unburdened Spirit led.
Our living
brings us many tribulations
We do not want them and we wonder
what they mean;
We feel our own so stressful desperations
Our spirits cry for help to quickly intervene.
Come to me and seek my rest,
I
am gentle humble hearted;
Learn from me how you may
best,
Be unburdened Spirit fed.
Our children’s youth may bring us pain and sorrow
As they keep failing by their living life’s fast pace;
Faithless today and with no hope tomorrow
And
unknown destiny without Christ’s certain grace.
Come
to me and seek my rest,
I am gentle humble hearted;
Learn from me how you may best,
Be unburdened Spirit filled.
Our friends
may drift and leave us and betray us
Their words of comfort may
no longer bring us peace;
Soft silence draws and echoes all around
us
We turn away from time to live with our own space.
Come to me and seek my rest,
I am gentle humble hearted;
Learn from me how
you may best,
Be unburdened Spirit sealed.
Unwelcome pain attacks within the body
Unwanted diagnoses frighten and dismay ;
Make shorter this our sense of human journey
Bring into
view the dawn of our eternal day.
Come to me and seek my
rest,
I am gentle humble hearted;
Learn from me how you may best,
Be forever Spirit healed.
Copyright
Robert Alexander Anderson 2009
Lord you give us
(To the Tune
“The Pearl Fishers“)
Lord you give
us all we discovered,
Earth found home life blood providential;
Atom engine internet genome,
All
Godly harvest of our human thought;
Help us to save our planet,
From all wastefulness of failed intent.
Lord the poor we always have with us,
Pictures
wreck all our peace and comfort;
Fly stuck face and distended
stomach,
Heart wrenching sorrows in our children’s eyes;
Help us to show love caring,
Give
our money for this Christ sharing.
Lord you give
us Your life eternal,
Days to years on the way to leaving;
Keep your living Word on our journey,
So through unknowing cloud pass into sight;
Help us
to run our life race,
Till we stand before You face to face.
Lord you give of all we are conscious,
Faith in Christ and His full salvation;
Mystic unseen and elemental,
Living Communion in the
saints fulfilled;
Help us to praise You Lord,
Thousand thousands singing ‘Lamb of God’.
Copyright Robert Alexander Anderson 2010