#hymn text

[sealedhymnal]

When I review my bypast course of life, Methinks the age of miracles remains; So seems the whole with wondrous mercies rife, Strange interposing checks to woes and pains. E'en as the angel loosed th' apostle's chains, Lighting the dungeon with a sudden ray, So, whilst I sang to God my prison strains, My hindrances oft fell in light away. The withered hand, to active vigour cured; The palsy roused to motion; sight made clear; The sore all stanched, which many years endured; Salvation heard at once by deaf cold ear; These show my Saviour power from heaven to send, And pledge his presence with me to the end.

“Retrospect” from Time’s Treasure (1862), author unknown

[sealedhymnal]

To worship rightly is to love each other, each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.

John Greenleaf Whittier, O Brother Man (1848)

[womanaction]

O Crucified redeemer, Whose life blood we have split, To you we raise our guilty hands And humbly own our guilt; Today we see your passion Spread open to our gaze; The crowded street, the country road, Its Calvary displays We hear your cry of anguish, We see your life outpoured, Where battle fields run red with blood, Our neighbours' blood, O Lord; And in that other battle, The fight for daily bread, Where might is right and self is king, We see your thorn-crowned head The groaning of creation, Wrung out by pain and care, The anguish of a million hearts That break in dumb despair; O crucified Redeemer, These are your cries of pain; O may they break our selfish hearts, And love come in to reign.

Timothy Rees

[sealedhymnal]

Now is the Hour for Faith Not Fear

Now is the hour for faith not fear: We toil against the deep; While wind and wave in fury rage, Our Lord, He does not sleep! Our daily walk with Christ has shown His mercies sure and real: We’ll strive our cheerful best and bide, His Hand to be revealed.   This is a day for hope not doubt: In matters great and small Our God, all-powerful and wise, Does see and order all. When soon the veil of heaven bursts And all things are unsealed, Our ev’ry sacred sorrow shall The grace of God reveal. Now is the time our love is proved, When nothing seems assured: Though faith be faded, hope be dimmed, The love of God endures. Our Savior this same grief has borne In suffering heavy, sore; Now in this telling hour we show Our love for Christ, our Lord.

© Toni Thomas 2015

I came across this again yesterday and was greatly moved, this text portrays perfectly how I feel right now as I’m in the limbo between school and work.

[level2hymnsclass]

Text in Coptic and English for the hymn 'Shere Maria'