We Lift Up Our Voices

Words: Gary Hicks

Tune: “Ash Grove”, traditional Welsh melody 

                 (“Let All Things Now Living”)

We lift up our voices,

All nature rejoices,

Proclaiming together the goodness of the Lord.

With glad hearts we bless Him,

Our glad tongues confess Him,

Who ever is faithful, fulfilling His word.

And Jesus our glory,

His life our sweet story:

God’s mercy come down and made flesh as a man,

He suffered disgrace,

He died in our place,

Then rose up victorious, God’s eternal plan.

And on this new morning,

God’s grace is adorning

The pathway before us, for He is our light.

No matter what sorrow,

We long for tomorrow,

When, free from our shackles, the faith becomes sight.

Then each tribe and nation,
With all of creation,
Will praise our great Saviour with uplifted hands.

As glad voices thunder,

What glory! What wonder!

We’ll break out in singing and join in the dance.

O, River Deep, O River Wide

words: Gary Hicks (Jan. 22-24, 2013)

copyright 2013 Gary L. Hicks

with references to Ezekiel 47:1-12, Matthew 3:13-16,

Hebrews 12:29 and John 3:8.

music: “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks”

by Christopher Miner

©1997 Christopher Miner Music.

Sung here by Jars of Clay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZdlI3E-xos

1. O, River deep, O, River wide,

Subsume me in Your flow,

Come wash away my secret sin

That only You can know.

2. Come, Holy Dove, descend on me,

And speak Your thundering word

Come fill my heart with Your great love,

And make me holy, Lord.

CHORUS:

I AM YOURS, I AM YOURS

TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE…

I AM YOURS, I AM YOURS

CONSECRATED, LORD, TO THEE.

3. Come, Flame of God, fall on me here,

Consume this selfish sin

Come burn away the hidden dross,

And make me pure within.

CHORUS

4. Come, Wind that blows from heaven’s shore,

I set my sail for You

Come move me, holy hurricane,

And make me clean and new.

CHORUS

Come, River Deep, Come River Wide

words: Gary Hicks (Jan. 22, 2013)

music: American folk tune “House of the Rising Sun” (8.6.8.6.) 
                    or any other tune in Common Meter (C.M.)

1. Come, River deep, Come, River wide,

Submerge us in Your flow,

Come wash away the secret sin

That only You can know.

2. Come, Holy Dove, descend on us,

And speak Your thundering word

Come fill our hearts with Your great love,

And make us holy, Lord.

3. Come, Flame of God, fall on us here,

Consume this selfish sin

Come burn away the hidden dross,

And purify within.

4. Come, Wind that blows from heaven’s throne,

We set our sails for You

Come move us, holy hurricane,

Lord, make us clean and new.

For the Storehouse of Your Mercy (complete)

words: Gary Hicks (Jan. 10-14, 2013)

tune: Beach Spring (written music available on request)

For the storehouse of Your mercy, for Your persevering grace,

From my heart I speak thanksgiving, From my lips I offer praise.

Was there ever deeper goodness than is offered from above?

Such an endless stream of kindness, such a reservoir of love!

I was blind to heaven’s mercy til the day I spoke Your name;

Full of fears and fond delusions, full of deadening guilt and shame.

Then Your mercy sought and found me, holy kindness drew me in,

And Your grace roared like the ocean, overwhelming all my sin.

Down from heaven, out from Calvary, still it flows to save and heal:

To the nations, for each person, there is mercy rich and real.

The transforming grace of Jesus, who is mighty still to save,

Floods the earth and fills the heavens, kills despair and robs the grave.

When the earth at last shall perish, and the heavens burn away,

Then in worlds yet uncreated we will thrive in endless day.

And the mercy of our Saviour, shining then more brightly still,

We will celebrate forever, on New Zion’s holy hill.

For the Storehouse of Your Mercy

words: Gary Hicks (Jan. 10, 2013)

tune: Beach Spring

For the storehouse of Your mercy, for Your persevering grace,

From my heart I speak thanksgiving, From my lips I offer praise.

Was there ever deeper goodness than is offered from above?

Such an endless stream of kindness, such a reservoir of love!

Down from heaven, out from Calvary, still it flows to save and heal:

To the nations, for each person, there is mercy rich and real.

The transforming grace of Jesus, who is mighty still to save,

Floods the earth and fills the heavens, kills despair and robs the grave.

For the storehouse of Your mercy, for Your persevering grace,

From my heart I speak thanksgiving, From my lips I offer praise.

Was there ever deeper goodness than is offered from above?

Such an endless stream of kindness, such a reservoir of love! 

If Ever I Needed You

‎This quote from Francis Frangipane was brought to my attention this morning by my friend Karl Ingersoll:

"Let's settle this truth once and for all: It is the nearness of God that produces our good. Christianity was never designed by God to be sustained by nice people trying to appear good. We're not that good. We're not that clever. And we're not that nice. The only thing that can sustain true Christianity is true union with Jesus Christ. It is nearness to Him in all things that produces our spiritual fruit."

IF EVER I NEEDED YOU

words & music by Gary Hicks (Jan. 7, 2013)

1. I’m not that nice

I’m not that good

I need You, Lord to help me do the things I should

I’m not that clever

I’m not that strong

I need You, Lord to help me make my way along.

CHORUS:

IF EVER I NEEDED YOU, LORD

IF EVER I NEEDED YOU, LORD

I NEED YOU NOW, I NEED YOU NOW

IF EVER I NEEDED YOUR GRACE

IF EVER I NEEDED YOUR STRENGTH

I NEED YOU NOW, I NEED YOU NOW

NEAR TO ME, HERE WITH ME

HERE IN MY HEART OF HEARTS

IF EVER I NEEDED YOU, LORD

I NEED YOU NOW.

2. Your way is peace

Your way is right

I need You, Lord to be my beacon in the night

Your way is humble

You make me new

I need You, Lord to change my heart and make it true.

The Sending Song

tune: "Lavender Blue", English folk tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWE-1rm7GL8

words: Gary Hicks, January 2, 2013

Jesus is King of the nations

Come celebrate

Speak of His love and His mercy

Make His name great

He will forgive, He will come and

Welcome us home

He gives us joy for our sorrow

Make His name known

Many still cry in the shadows

Waiting to hear

Reach out with love and in kindness

Bring Jesus near

Spirit of God, how we need Your

Strength for this hour!

Fill us, ignite us and send us

Forth in Your power!