New Testament Canticles

¶		New Testament Canticles

		59a A Song of Redemption (first version)

		Refrain:
All		Christ is the image of the invisible God,
		the firstborn of all creation.

1		The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness, •
		and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;

2		In whom we have redemption, •
		the forgiveness of our sins.

3		He is the image of the invisible God, •
		the firstborn of all creation.

4		For in him all things were created, •
		in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

5		All things were created through him and for him, •
		he is before all things and in him all things hold together.

6		He is the head of the body, the Church, •
		he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.

7		In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell; •
		and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things.
		Colossians 1.13-18a,19,20a
		Glory to the Father and to the Son
		and to the Holy Spirit;
		as it was in the beginning is now
		and shall be for ever. Amen.


		59b A Song of Redemption (second version)

		Refrain:
All		You are the image of the invisible God,
		the firstborn of all creation.

1		You are the image of the invisible God, •
		the first born over all creation.

2		By you, O Christ, were all things created, •
		in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,

3		Thrones and dominions, powers and principalities; •
		all were created through you and for you.

4		You are before everything •
		and in you all things hold together.

5		You are the head of your body, the Church, •
		you are the beginning, the first born from the dead,
		that over everything you may be supreme.
		Colossians 1.13-18a,19,20a
		Glory to the Father and to the Son
		and to the Holy Spirit;
		as it was in the beginning is now
		and shall be for ever. Amen.


		60 A Song of Christ's Appearing

		Refrain:
All		Christ was believed in throughout the world
		and taken up in glory.

1		Christ Jesus was revealed in the flesh •
		and vindicated in the spirit.

2		He was seen by angels •
		and proclaimed among the nations.

3		Believed in throughout the world, •
		he was taken up in glory.

4		This will be made manifest at the proper time •
		by the blessed and only Sovereign,

5		Who alone has immortality, •
		and dwells in unapproachable light.

		To the King of kings and Lord of lords •
		be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
		1 Timothy 3.16;6.15-16


		61 A Song of God's Assembled

		Refrain:
All		We have come before the throne of God
		to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

1		We have come before God's holy mountain, •
		to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.

2		We have come before countless angels making festival, •
		before the assembly of the firstborn citizens of heaven.

3		We have come before God, who is judge of all, •
		before the spirits of the just made perfect.

4		We have come before Jesus, •
		the mediator of the new covenant.

5		We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken: •
		so let us give thanks and offer to God acceptable worship,

6		full of reverence and awe; •
		for our God is a consuming fire.
		Hebrews 12.22-24a,28-29
		Glory to the Father and to the Son
		and to the Holy Spirit;
		as it was in the beginning is now
		and shall be for ever. Amen.


		62 A Song of Faith

		Refrain:
All		God raised Christ from the dead,
		the Lamb without spot or stain. Alleluia!

1		Blessed be the God and Father •
		of our Lord Jesus Christ!

2		By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope •
		through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

3		Into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, •
		kept in heaven for you.

4		Who are being protected by the power of God
		through faith for a salvation, •
		ready to be revealed in the last time.

5		You were ransomed from the futile ways of your ancestors •
		not with perishable things like silver or gold

6		But with the precious blood of Christ •
		like that of a lamb without spot or stain.

7		Through him you have confidence in God,
		who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, •
		so that your faith and hope are set on God.
		1 Peter 1.3-4,18-21
		Glory to the Father and to the Son
		and to the Holy Spirit;
		as it was in the beginning is now
		and shall be for ever. Amen.


		63 A Song of Christ the Servant

		Refrain:
All		Christ committed no sin,
		no guile was found on his lips.

1		Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, •
		that you should follow in his steps.

2		He committed no sin, no guile was found on his lips, •
		when he was reviled, he did not revile in turn.

3		When he suffered, he did not threaten, •
		but he trusted himself to God who judges justly.

4		Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, •
		that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

5		By his wounds, you have been healed,
		for you were straying like sheep, •
		but have now returned
		to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
		1 Peter 2.21b-25
		Glory to the Father and to the Son
		and to the Holy Spirit;
		as it was in the beginning is now
		and shall be for ever. Amen.


		64 A Song of Repentance

		Refrain:
All		Tell the good news of Jesus the Christ
		to all who are searching for redemption.

1		This is the message we have heard from Christ
		and proclaim to you: •
		that God is light,
		in whom there is no darkness at all.

2		If we say that we have fellowship with God
		while we walk in darkness, •
		we lie and do not do what is true.

3		But if we walk in the light
		as God is in the light, •
		we have fellowship with one another.

4		And the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, •
		cleanses us from all our sins.

5		If we say that we have no sin, •
		we deceive ourselves
		and the truth is not in us.

6		If we confess our sins, •
		the One who is faithful and just will forgive us
		and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
		1 John 1. 5-9
		Glory to the Father and to the Son
		and to the Holy Spirit;
		as it was in the beginning is now
		and shall be for ever. Amen.


		65 A Song of God's Love

		Refrain:
All		God's love was revealed among us
		so that we might live through Jesus.

1		Beloved, let us love one another,
		for love is of God; •
		everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

2		Whoever does not love does not know God, •
		for God is love.

3		In this the love of God was revealed among us, •
		that God sent his only Son into the world,
		so that we might live through him.

4		In this is love,
		not that we loved God but that he loved us, •
		and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.

5		Beloved, since God loved us so much, •
		we ought also to love one another.

6		For if we love one another, God abides in us, •
		and God's love will be perfected in us.
		1 John 4.7-11,12b
		Glory to the Father and to the Son
		and to the Holy Spirit;
		as it was in the beginning is now
		and shall be for ever. Amen.


		66 A Song of Praise

		This canticle is also known as Glory and Honour.

		Refrain:
All		You created all things, O God,
		and are worthy of our praise for ever.

1		You are worthy, our Lord and God, •
		to receive glory and honour and power.

2		For you have created all things, •
		and by your will they have their being.

3		You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain, •
		and by your blood you ransomed for God
		saints from every tribe and language and nation.

4		You have made them to be a kingdom and priests
		serving our God, •
		and they will reign with you on earth.
		Revelation 4.11; 5.9b-10
		To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb •
		be blessing and honour, glory and might,
		for ever and ever. Amen.


		67 A Song of the Redeemed

		Refrain:
All		Salvation belongs to our God,
		who will guide us to springs of living water.

1		Behold, a great multitude •
		which no one could number,

2		From every nation,
		from all tribes and peoples and tongues, •
		standing before the throne and the Lamb.

3		They were clothed in white robes
		and had palms in their hands, •
		and they cried with a loud voice, saying,

4		'Salvation belongs to our God
		who sits on the throne, •
		and to the Lamb.'

5		These are they
		who have come out of the great tribulation, •
		they have washed their robes
		and made them white in the blood of the Lamb;

6		Therefore they stand before the throne of God, •
		whom they serve day and night within the temple.

7		And the One who sits upon the throne •
		will shelter them with his presence.

8		They shall never again feel hunger or thirst, •
		the sun shall not strike them,
		nor any scorching heat.

9		For the Lamb at the heart of the throne •
		will be their Shepherd,

10		He will guide them to springs of living water, •
		and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

		To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
		be blessing and honour and glory and might,
		for ever and ever. Amen.
		Revelation 7. 9-10,14b-17


		68 Great and Wonderful

		Refrain:
All		All nations shall come and worship you, O Christ,
		and share in the feast of your kingdom.

1		Great and wonderful are your deeds, •
		Lord God the Almighty.

2		Just and true are your ways, •
		O ruler of the nations.

3		Who shall not revere and praise your name, O Lord? •
		for you alone are holy.

4		All nations shall come and worship in your presence: •
		for your just dealings have been revealed.

		To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb •
		be blessing and honour and glory and might,
		for ever and ever. Amen.
		Revelation 15.3-4


		69 A Song of the Lamb

		Refrain:
All		Let us rejoice and exult
		and give glory and homage to our God.

1		Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, •
		whose judgements are true and just.

2		Praise our God, all you his servants, •
		all who fear him, both small and great.

3		The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns: •
		let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory.

4		The marriage of the Lamb has come •
		and his bride has made herself ready.

5		Blessed are those who are invited •
		to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.

		To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb •
		be blessing and honour and glory and might,
		for ever and ever. Amen.
		Revelation 19.1b,5b,6b,7,9b


		70 A Song of the Holy City

		Refrain:
All		I saw the holy city
		coming down out of heaven from God.

1		I saw a new heaven and a new earth, •
		for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away
		and the sea was no more.

2		And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
		coming down out of heaven from God, •
		prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3		And I heard a great voice from the throne saying, •
		'Behold, my dwelling is with my people.

4		'I will dwell with them and they shall be mine, •
		and I myself will be with them.

5		'I will wipe away every tear from their eyes, •
		and death shall be no more.

6		'Neither shall there be mourning,
		nor crying, nor pain any more, •
		for the former things have passed away.'

7		And the One who sat upon the throne said, •
		'Behold, I make all things new.'
		Revelation 21.1-5a


		71 A Song of the Heavenly City

		Refrain:
All		By the river stood the tree of life,
		with healing for all the nations.

1		I saw no temple in the city, •
		for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty
		and the Lamb.

2		And the city has no need of sun or moon
		to shine upon it, •
		for the glory of God is its light,
		and its lamp is the Lamb.

3		By its light the nations shall walk, •
		and the rulers of the earth
		shall bring their glory into it.

4		Its gates shall never be shut by day,
		nor shall there be any night; •
		they shall bring into it
		the glory and honour of the nations.

5		I saw the river of the water of life,
		bright as crystal, •
		flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

6		And either side of the river stood the tree of life,
		yielding its fruit each month, •
		and the leaves of the tree
		were for the healing of the nations.

7		The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be there,
		and his servants shall worship him; •
		and they shall see his face
		and his name shall be on their foreheads.

		To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb •
		be blessing and honour and glory and might,
		for ever and ever. Amen.
		Revelation 21.22-26;22.1,2b,2d,3b-4


		72 A Song of the Spirit

		Refrain:
All		Surely I am coming soon!
		Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

1		'Behold, I am coming soon', says the Lord,
		and bringing my reward with me, •
		to give to everyone according to their deeds.

2		'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, •
		the beginning and the end.'

3		Blessed are those who do God's commandments,
		that they may have the right to the tree of life, •
		and may enter into the city through the gates.

4		'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, •
		with this testimony for all the churches.

5		'I am the root and the offspring of David, •
		I am the bright morning star.'

6		'Come!' say the Spirit and the Bride; •
		'Come!' let each hearer reply!

7		Come forward, you who are thirsty, •
		let those who desire take the water of life as a gift.
		Revelation 22.12-14,16,17
		Surely I am coming soon!
		Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!


		73 The Easter Anthems

1		Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us: •
		so let us celebrate the feast,

2		not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness: •
		but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
		1 Corinthians 5.7b,8
3		Christ once raised from the dead dies no more: •
		death has no more dominion over him.

4		In dying he died to sin once for all: •
		in living he lives to God.

5		See yourselves therefore as dead to sin: •
		and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
		Romans 6.9-11
6		Christ has been raised from the dead: •
		the first fruits of those who sleep.

7		For as by man came death: •
		by man has come also the resurrection of the dead;

8		for as in Adam all die: •
		even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
		1 Corinthians 15.20-22
		Glory to the Father and to the Son
		and to the Holy Spirit;
		as it was in the beginning is now
		and shall be for ever. Amen.

© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
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