In this week’s programme we’re marking Sea Sunday – also described as a ‘Day of Prayer for Seafarers’. It’s a time to remember and celebrate those whose workplace is the sea, with hymns including William Whiting’s Eternal Father, strong to save.
Ocean Beach, Hawkes Bay Photo: Robyn Jaquiery
SONG: HOW GREAT THOU ART
Artist: Huddersfield Choral Society
Words/Music: Carl Boberg trans Stuart Hines/Trad
Recording: Signum 2006
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hand hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my saviour God, to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
And when I think that God, his son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
Refrain:
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!
Refrain:
SONG: O PRAISE YE THE LORD
Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh
Words/Music: Henry Baker/Hubert Parry
Recording: Priory PRCD 376
O praise ye the Lord! praise Him in the height;
Rejoice in His Word, ye angels of light;
Ye heavens, adore Him by Whom ye were made,
And worship before Him in brightness arrayed.
O praise ye the Lord! Praise Him upon earth,
In tuneful accord, ye sons of new birth;
Praise Him Who hath brought you His grace from above,
Praise Him Who hath taught you to sing of His love.
O praise ye the Lord! All things that give sound;
Each jubilant chord re-echo around;
Loud organs, His glory forth tell in deep tone,
And sweet harp, the story of what He hath done.
O praise ye the Lord! Thanksgiving and song
To Him be outpoured all ages along!
For love in creation, for Heaven restored,
For grace of salvation, O praise ye the Lord!
Amen.
SONG: PSALM 148, O PRAISE THE LORD OF HEAVEN
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Words/Music: Psalm 148/Charles Stanford
Recording: Virgin 545036
O praise the Lord of heaven:
praise him in the height.
Praise him, all ye angels of his:
praise him, all his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon:
praise him, all ye stars and light.
Praise him, all ye heavens:
and ye waters that are above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord:
for he spake the word, and they were made
he commanded, and they were created.
He hath made them fast for ever and ever:
he hath given them a law which shall not be broken.
Praise the Lord upon earth:
ye dragons and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and vapours:
wind and storm, fulfilling his word;
Mountains and all hills:
fruitful trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle:
worms and feathered fowls;
Kings of the earth, and all people:
princes, and all judges of the world;
Young men and maidens, old men and children,
praise the name of the Lord:
for his name only is excellent,
and his praise above heav'n and earth.
He shall exalt the horn of his people,
all his saints shall praise him:
even the children of Israel,
even the people that serveth him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
SONG: ETERNAL FATHER, STRONG TO SAVE
Artist: Choir and Congregation of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Gordon St John Clarke (dir)
Words/Music: William Whiting/John Dykes
Label: Abbey 280826
Eternal father, strong to save,
Whose arm doth bind the restless wave,
Who bids the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to thee,
For those in peril on the sea.
O Saviour, whose almighty word
The wind and waves submissive heard,
Who walkedst on the foaming deep,
And calm amid its rage did sleep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.
O Trinity of love and power,
Our brethren shield in danger's hour
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go:
And evermore shall rise to thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
SONG: O, THE DEEP, DEEP LOVE OF JESUS
Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington, Michael Stewart (dir), Richard Apperley (organ)
Words/Music: Trevor Francis/Thomas Williams
Recording: RNZ 2020
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
vast, unmeasured, boundless, free,
rolling as a mighty ocean
in its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me,
is the current of Thy love;
leading onward, leading homeward
to my glorious rest above.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
changeth never, nevermore!
How He watcheth o'er His loved ones,
died to call them all His own;
how for them He intercedeth,
watcheth o'er them from the throne.
Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Love of every love the best:
vast the ocean of his blessing,
sweet the haven of his rest!
Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus,
very heaven of heavens to me,
and it lifts me up to glory,
evermore his face to see.
SONG: LEAD US, HEAVENLY FATHER, LEAD US
Artist: Linden Singers of Hawkes Bay, Basil Brooker (dir)
Words/Music: James Edmeston/Friedrich Filitz
Recording: Private CD 813
Lead us, heavenly father, lead us
o'er the world's tempestuous sea;
guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
for we have no help but thee;
yet possessing every blessing,
if our God our father be.
Saviour, breathe forgiveness o'er us;
all our weakness thou dost know;
thou didst tread this earth before us;
thou didst feel its keenest woe;
lone and dreary, faint and weary,,
through the desert thou didst go.
Spirit of our God, descending,
fill our hearts with heavenly joy;
love with every passion blending
pleasure that can never cloy;
thus provided, pardoned, guided,
nothing can our peace destroy.
SONG: I, THE LORD OF SEA AND SKY
Artist: Wells Cathedral Choir, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Daniel Schutte
Recording: Hyperion 711210
I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard My people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear My light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Refrain:
Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have born my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them, They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak My word to them,
Whom shall I send?
Refrain:
I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them,
My hand will save
Finest bread I will provide,
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give My life to them,
Whom shall I send?
Refrain:
SONG: AMAZING GRACE
Artist: St Michael’s Singers, Coventry Cathedral
Words/Music: John Newton/Trad
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 599
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind but now I see.
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved:
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thurs far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil
A life of joy and peace.
When I've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
I've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when I first begun.
