Lord of the Dance

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced on the moon and the stars and the sun.
I came down from Heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.

Refrain:

'Dance, then, wherever you may be!
I am the Lord of the Dance' said he.
'And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance' said He.

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they would not follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came with me and the Dance went on.

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high
And left me there on the cross to die.

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It's hard to dance with the Devil on your back
They buried my body and they thought I'd gone
But I am the Dance and I still go on.

'They cut me down and I leapt up high:
I am the life that will never, never die!
I'll live in you if you live in me;
I am the Lord of the Dance' said He.

Composer: Sydney Carter

Behold, The Tabernacle of God

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with you,
and the Spirit  God dwelleth within you.
For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
For the love of whom ye do this day celebrate the joys of the temple
with a season of festivity. Alleluia.

Composer: William Harris 

Now the Day is Over

1. Now the day is over,
   Night is drawing nigh,
   Shadows of the evening
   Steal across the sky.
   


2. Jesus, give the weary
   Calm and sweet repose;
   With Thy tend’rest blessing
   May mine eyelids close.


3. Grant to little children
   Visions bright of Thee;
   Guard the sailors tossing
   On the deep, blue sea.


4. Comfort those who suffer,
   Watching late in pain;
   Those who plan some evil
   From their sin restrain.


5. Through the long night watches
   May Thine angels spread
   Their white wings above me,
   Watching round my bed.


6. When the morning wakens,
   Then may I arise
   Pure, and fresh, and sinless
   In Thy holy eyes.

Composer: Joseph Barnby (1868)

How Shall I Sing That Majesty

How Great a Being
Which doth all beings keep.
Thy Knowledge the only Line
To sound so vast a Deep.

Thou art a sea without a shore,
A sun without a sphere,
Thy time is now and ever more,
Thy place is every where.

How shall I sing that majesty,
Which angels do admire?
Let dust in dust and silence lie,
Sing, Sing, Ye Heavenly Choir.

Thou art a sea without a shore.
A Sun without a sphere,
Thy time is now and ever more
Thy place is every where.

How shall I sing that Majesty
Which Angels do Admire?
Let dust in dust and silence lie.
Sing, Sing, Ye Heavenly Choir.

Text: John Mason (1645-1694)

O Lord, Support Us

O Lord, support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen,
and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in thy mercy,
grant us a safe lodging and a holy rest,
and peace at the last.
Amen.

Litany to the Holy Spirit (Music: Peter Hurford)

In the hour of my distress,
When temptations me oppress,
And when I my sins confess,
         Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When I lie within my bed,
Sick in heart and sick in head,
And with doubts discomforted,
         Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the house doth sigh and weep,
And the world is drown'd in sleep,
Yet mine eyes the watch do keep,
         Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

Text: Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Music: Peter Hurford (b. 1930)

Praise the Spirit in Creation

TUNE I: FINNIAN


TUNE II: JULION


ANTHEM VERSION:



1. Praise the Spirit in creation,
breath of God, life's origin:
Spirit moving on the waters,
quickening worlds to life within,
source of breath to all things breathing,
life in whom all lives begin.

2. Praise the Spirit, close companion
of our inmost thoughts and ways;
who, in showing us God's wonders,
is himself the power to gaze;
and God's will, to those who listen,
by a still small voice conveys.

3. Praise the Spirit, who enlightened
priest and prophets with the word;
his the truth behind the wisdoms
which as yet know not our Lord;
by whose love and power, in Jesus
God himself was seen and heard.

4. Tell of how the ascended Jesus
armed a people for his own;
how a hundred men and women
turned the known world upside down,
to its dark and furthest corners
by the wind of heaven blown.

5. Pray we then, O Lord the Spirit,
praise the Father, praise the Word,
Source, and Truth, and Inspiration,
Trinity in deep accord;
through your voice which speaks within us
we, your creatures call you Lord.

Words: Michael Hewlett (b. 1916)
Tune:
(i) FINNIAN, by Christopher Dearnley (b. 1930)
(ii) JULION 87.87.87, by David Hurd (b. 1950)