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