Easter Season Services

 Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,

and lighten with celestial fire.

Thou the anointing Spirit art,

who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.

Thy blessed unction from above

is comfort, life, and fire of love.

Enable with perpetual light

the dullness of our blinded sight.

Anoint and cheer our soiled face

with the abundance of thy grace.

Keep far from foes, 

give peace at home:

where thou art guide, no ill can come.

Teach us to know the Father, Son,

and thee, of both, to be but One,

that through the ages all along,

this may be our endless song:

Praise to thy eternal merit,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  Breathe on me, breath of God:

fill me with life anew,

that I may love as you have loved

and do as you would do.

Breathe on me, breath of God,

until my heart is pure,

until my will is one with yours

to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God;

fulfil my heart's desire,

until this earthly part of me

glows with your heavenly fire.

Breathe on me, breath of God;

so shall I never die,

but live with you the perfect life

of your eternity.

Come down, O Love divine,

Seek thou this soul of mine,

And visit it with thine own ardour glowing;

O Comforter, draw near,

Within my heart appear,

And kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn,

Till earthly passions turn

To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;

And let thy glorious light

Shine ever on my sight,

And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

And so the yearning strong,

With which the soul will long,

Shall far outpass the power of human telling;

For none can guess its grace,

Till Love create a place

Wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.

 The head that once was crowned 

with thorns

is crowned with glory now;

a royal diadem adorns

the mighty Victor’s brow.

The highest place that heaven affords

is his, is his by right,

the King of kings and Lord of lords,

and heaven’s eternal Light:

The joy of all who dwell above,

the joy of all below,

to whom he manifests his love,

and grants his name to know.

To them the cross, with all its shame,

with all its grace, is given;

their name an everlasting name,

their joy the joy of heaven.

They suffer with the Lord below,

they reign with him above;

their profit and their joy to know

the mystery of his love.

The cross he bore is life and health,

though shame and death to him;

his people’s hope, his people’s wealth,

their everlasting theme.  

  Christ triumphant, ever reigning,
Saviour, Master, King!
Lord of heaven, our lives sustaining,
hear us as we sing:

Yours the glory and the crown,
the high renown, the eternal name.

Word incarnate, truth revealing,
Son of Man on earth!
power and majesty concealing
by your humble birth:
Yours the glory...

Suffering servant, scorned, ill - treated,
victim crucified!
death is through the cross defeated,
sinners justified:
Yours the glory...

Priestly king, enthroned for ever
high in heaven above!
sin and death and hell shall never
stifle hymns of love:
Yours the glory...

So, our hearts and voices raising
through the ages long,
ceaselessly upon you gazing,
this shall be our song:
Yours the glory... 

Come down, O Love divine,

Seek thou this soul of mine,

And visit it with thine own ardour glowing;

O Comforter, draw near,

Within my heart appear,

And kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn,

Till earthly passions turn

To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;

And let thy glorious light

Shine ever on my sight,

And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

And so the yearning strong,

With which the soul will long,

Shall far outpass the power of human telling;

For none can guess its grace,

Till Love create a place

Wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! 

  Morning has broken

like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken 

like the first bird

Praise for the singing

Praise for the morning

Praise for them springing 

fresh from the Word

Sweet the rain's new fall, 

sunlit from heaven

Like the first dew fall 

on the first grass

Praise for the sweetness 

of the wet garden

Sprung in completeness 

where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight

Mine is the morning

Born of the One Light 

Eden saw play

Praise with elation, 

praise every morning

God's re-creation 

of the new day

Christ’s is the world in which we move;

Christ’s are the folk we’re summoned to love;

Christ’s is the voice which calls us to care,

and Christ is the one who meets us here.

To the lost Christ shows his face,

to the unloved he gives his embrace,

to those who cry in pain or disgrace

Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.

Feel for the people we must avoid -

strange or bereaved or never employed.

Feel for the women and feel for the men

who fear that their living is all in vain.

To the lost.............

Feel for the parents who’ve lost their child,

feel for the women whom men have defiled,

feel for the baby for whom there’s no breast,

and feel for the weary who find no rest.

To the lost..............

Feel for the lives by life confused,

riddled with doubt, in loving abused;

feel for the lonely heart, conscious of sin,

which longs to be pure but fears to begin.

To the lost.................

The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am his

And he is mine for ever.

Where streams of living water flow

My ransomed soul he leadeth,

And where the verdant pastures grow

With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,

But yet in love he sought me,

And on his shoulder gently laid,

And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill

With thee, dear Lord, beside me;

Thy rod and staff my comfort still,

Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread'st a table in my sight;

Thy unction, grace bestoweth:

And O what transport of delight

From thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days

Thy goodness faileth never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise

Within thy house for ever.

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,

to his feet your tribute bring;

ransomed, healed, 

restored, forgiven,

who like you his praise should sing?

Alleluia, alleluia!

praise the everlasting King.

Praise him for his grace and favour

to our fathers in distress;

praise him, still the same as ever,

slow to blame and swift to bless;

Alleluia, alleluia!

glorious in his faithfulness.

Father-like, he tends and spares us,

All our hopes and fears he knows;

in his hands he gently bears us,

rescues us from all our foes:

Alleluia, alleluia!

widely as his mercy flows.

Angels, help us to adore him;

you behold him face to face;

sun and moon, 

bow down before him,

praise him all in time and space.

Alleluia, alleluia!

praise with us the God of grace. 

Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.

The cross stands empty to the sky.

Let streets and homes with praises ring.

Love, drowned in death, shall never die.

Christ is alive! No longer bound

to distant years in Palestine,

but saving, healing, here and now,

and touching every place and time.

In every insult, rift and war,

where colour, scorn or wealth divide,

Christ suffers still, yet loves the more,

and lives, where even hope has died.

Women and men, in age and youth,

can feel the Spirit, hear the call,

and find the way, the life, the truth,

revealed in Jesus, freed for all.

Christ is alive, and comes to bring

good news to this and every age,

till earth and sky and ocean ring

with joy, with justice, love and praise. 

Brother, sister, let me serve you;

let me be as Christ to you;

pray that I may have the grace to

let you be my servant too.

We are pilgrims on a journey,

and companions on the road;

we are here to help each other

walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you

in the night-time of your fear;

I will hold my hand out to you,

speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping;

when you laugh I'll laugh with you;

I will share your joy and sorrow,

till we've seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven,

we shall find such harmony,

born of all we've known together

of Christ's love and agony.

Brother, sister, let me serve you;

let me be as Christ to you;

pray that l may have the grace to

let you be my servant too.

  What a Friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Saviour, still our refuge—

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there. 

  Do not be afraid,

For I have redeemed you.

I have called you by your name;

You are mine.

When you walk through the waters 

I'll be with you,

You will never sink beneath the waves.

When the fire is burning all around you,

You will never be consumed by the flames.

When the fear of loneliness is looming,

Then remember I am at your side.

When you dwell in the exile of a stranger,

Remember you are precious in my eyes.

You are mine, O my child; 

I am your father,

And I love you with a perfect love.

Do not be afraid,

For I have redeemed you.

I have called you by your name;

You are mine.