Category: Opening of Worship

1
Great our joy as now we gather
Where the Master makes us one:
Where we worship God the Father
Thro’ the Spirit of His Son.
All who search for His church
Find it where His will is done.

2
Precious is the tie that binds us
To our God when faith grows cold;
Precious all that now reminds us
He is still our safe stronghold.
Faithful love serves to prove
Here the Shepherd has His fold.

3
May we learn from Christ’s example
How to use this house of prayer:
He who loved and cleansed His temple
Wants us all to worship there.
God the Son shuts out none:
In His kingdom all may share.

4
Lord, inspire us with Your vision
Of a world which must be won!
Glorious is the church’s mission,
Long endeavoured, scarce begun!
Faithful now – this is how
God’s eternal will is done.

059

1
Blessed Jesus, at Thy word,
We have gathered all to hear Thee;
By Thy word our hearts were stirred,
Now to seek and love and fear Thee.
By Thy teachings sweet and holy,
Let us learn to love Thee solely.

2
All our knowledge, sense, and sight,
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded;
Till Thy Spirit breaks our night,
With His beams of truth unclouded.
He alone to God canst win us,
He who works all good within us.

3
Glorious Lord, Thy self impart!
Light of light, from God proceeding.
Open Thou our ears and heart
Help us, by Thy Spirit’s pleading.
Hear the cry Thy people raises!
Hear, and bless our prayer and praises!

060

1
God is here as we his people
meet to offer praise and prayer,
may we find in fuller measure
what it is in Christ we share.
Here, as in the world around us,
all our varied skills and arts
wait the coming of his Spirit
into open minds and hearts.

2
Here are symbols to remind us
of our lifelong need of grace;
here are table, font and pulpit;
here the Word has central place.
Here in honesty of preaching,
here in silence, as in speech,
here in newness and renewal,
God the Spirit comes to each.

3
Here our children find a welcome
in the Shepherd’s flock and fold.
Here, as bread and wine are taken,
Christ sustains us, as of old.
Here the servants of the Servant
seek in worship to explore
what it means in daily living
to believe and to adore.

4
Lord of all, Church and Kingdom,
in an age of change and doubt,
keep us faithful to the Gospel,
help us work your purpose out.
Here, in this day’s dedication,
all we have to give, receive:
we, who cannot live without you,
we adore you! We believe!

061

1
How lovely is Thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts to me!
The tabenacles of Thy grace
How pleasant, Lord, they be!

2
My thirsty soul longs ardently,
Yea, faints Thy courts to see;
My very heart and flesh cry out,
O living God, for Thee.

3
Behold the sparrow findeth out
A house where-in to rest;
The swallow also, for herself
Provided hath a nest.

4
Ev’n Thine own altars, where she safe
Her young ones forth may bring,
O Thou, almighty Lord of hosts,
Who art my God and King.

5
Blest are they in Thy house that dwell,
They ever give Thee praise.
Blest is the man whose strength Thou art,
In whose heart are Thy ways.

062

1
O come, let us sing to the Lord,
Come let us every one
A joyful noise make to the Rock
Of our salvation.

2
Let us before His presence come
With glad and thankful voice;
Let us sing psalms of praise to Him,
And make a joyful noise.

3
For God, a great God and great King,
Above all gods, He is;
The depths of earth are in His hand,
The strength of hills is His.

4
To Him the ocean vast belongs,
For He the sea did make;
The dry land also from His hands,
Its form at first did take.

5
O come, bow down and worship Him,
And kneeling, humbly pray,
Come to our Maker and our God,
And hear His voice today.

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