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Browse Hymns, Songs, Poems, Readings, Imagery and Literature

    Report on Experience

    Edmund Blunden (1896-1974)

    I have been young, and now am not too old;
    And I have seen the righteous forsaken,
    His health, his honour and his quality taken.
    This is not what we were formerly told.

    I have seen a green country, useful to the race,
    Knocked silly with guns and mines, its villages vanished,
    Even the last rat and the last kestrel banished -
    God bless us all, this was peculiar grace.

    I knew Seraphina; Nature gave her hue,
    Glance, sympathy, note, like one from Eden.
    I saw her smile warp, heard her lyric deaden;
    She turned to harlotry; - this I took to be new.

    Say what you will, our God sees how they run.
    These disillussionments are His curious proving
    That He loves humanity and will go on loving;
    Over there are faith, life, virtue in the sun.

    My Sweet Old Etcetera

    by e. e. cummings (1894-1962)

    my sweet old etcetera
    aunt lucy during the recent

    war could and what
    is more did tell you just
    what everybody was fighting

    for,
    my sister

    isabel created hundreds
    (and
    hundreds) of socks not to
    mention shirts fleaproof earwarmers

    etcetera wristers etcetera, my

    mother hoped that

    i would die etcetera
    bravely of course my father used
    to become hoarse talking about how it was
    a privilege and if only he
    could meanwhile my

    self etectera lay quietly
    in the deep mud et

    cetera
    (dreaming,
    et
    cetera, of
    your smile
    eyes knees and of your Etcetera)

    Subalterns

    Elizabeth Daryush (1887-1977)

    She said to one: ‘How glows
    My heart at the hot thought
    Of battle’s glorious throes!’
    He said: ‘For us who fought
    Are icy memories
    That must for ever freeze
    The sunny hours they bought.’

    She said to one: ‘How light
    Must your freed heart be now,
    After the heavy fight!”
    He said: ‘Well I don’t know. . .
    The war gave one a shake,
    Somehow, knocked one awake. . .
    Now. life’s so deadly slow.’

    At the Bomb Testing Site

    William Stafford (1914-1993)

    At noon in the desert a panting lizard
    waited for history, its elbows tense,
    watching the curve of a particular road
    as if something might happen.

    It was looking at something farther off
    than people could see, an important scene
    acted in stone for little selves
    at the flute end of consequences.

    There was just a continent without much on it
    under a sky that never cared less.
    Ready for a change, the elbows waited.
    The hands gripped hard on the desert.

    Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

    King James Bible

    1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
    2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
    3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
    4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
    5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
    6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
    7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
    8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
    9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
    (. . .)
    19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
    20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
    21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
    22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

    Ecclesiastes 9: 4-6

    King James Bible

    4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
    5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
    6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have
    they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

    Ecclesiastes 12: 1-8

    King James Bible

    1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
    2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
    3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
    4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
    5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
    6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
    7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
    8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

    Ecclesiasticus 41: 1-4

    King James Bible

    1 O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that is at peace in his possessions, unto the man that hath nothing to vex him, and hath prosperity in all things, and still hath strength to partake of meat!
    2 O death, acceptable is thy sentence unto a man that is needy, and whose strength faileth, that is now in extreme age, and is vexed with all things, and likewise to him that despaireth and hath lost patience.
    3 Fear not the sentence of death, remember them that have been before thee, and that come after: for this is the sentence of the Lord over all flesh.
    4 And why dost thou refuse, when it is the pleasure of the most High? There is no inquisition of life in the grave, whether thou have lived ten, or a hundred, or a thousand years.

    Job 14

    King James Bible

    1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
    2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
    (. . .)
    7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
    8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
    9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
    10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
    11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
    12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
    13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
    14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

    I Corinthians 15

    King James Bible

    51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
    52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
    53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
    54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
    55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

    Revelation 21

    King James Bible

    1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
    2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
    3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
    4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
    (…)
    16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
    21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
    22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
    23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
    24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

    Psalm 130 De Profundis

    King James Bible

    Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? For there is mercy with thee; therefore shalt thou be feared. I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him. In his word is my trust. My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch. O Israel, trust in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem IsraeI from all his sins.

    Psalm 90 Domine, refugium

    King James Bible

    Lord, thou hast been our refuge: from one generation to another. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made: thou art God from everlasting, and world without end. Thou turnest man to destruction: again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday: seeing that is past as a watch in the night. As soon as thou scatterest them they are even as a sleep: and fade away suddenly like the grass. In the morning it is green, and groweth up: but in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withered. For we consume away in thy displeasure: and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation. Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee: and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For when thou art angry all our days are gone: we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told. The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years: yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone. But who regardeth the power of thy wrath: for even thereafter as a man feareth, so is thy displeasure. So teach us to number our days: that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last: and be gracious unto thy servants. O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon: so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life. Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us: and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity. Shew thy servants thy work: and their children thy glory. And the glorious majesty of the Lord our God be upon us: prosper thou the work of our hands upon us, O prosper thou our handywork.

    From The Order for the Burial of the Dead, Book of Common Prayer

    King James Bible

    I am the resurrection and the life (saith the Lord): he that believeth in me, yea, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall not die forever. John 11

    I know that my redeemer liveth, and that I shall rise out of the earth in the last day, and shall be covered again with my skin, and shall see God in my flesh: yea, and I myself shall behold him, not with other, but with these same eyes. Job 19

    We brought nothing into this world, neither may we carry anything out of this world. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Even as it hath pleased the Lord, so cometh things to pass: blessed be the name of the Lord. 1 Tim. 6, Job 1

    For as muche as it hath pleased almightie God of his great mercy to take unto hym selfe the Soule of oure deare brother, here departed, we therfore committe hys bodye to the grounde, earthe, to earthe ashes, to ashes, dust, to dust, in sure, and certein hope of resurrection to eternall lyfe, throughe oure Lorde Jesus Christe, who shall change oure vyle body that it may be lyke to his glorious body, according to the mighty workynge whereby he is able to subdue al thynges to hym selfe.

    The Pilgrim

    John Bunyan (1628-1688)

    Who would true Valour see
    Let him come hither;
    One here will Constant be,
    Come Wind, come Weather.
    There's no Discouragement,
    Shall make him once Relent,
    His first avow'd Intent,
    To be a Pilgrim.

    Who so beset him round,
    With dismal Storys,
    Do but themselves Confound;
    His Strength the more is.
    No Lyon can him fright,
    He'll with a Giant Fight,
    But he will have a right,
    To be a Pilgrim.

    Hobgoblin, nor foul Fiend,
    Can daunt his Spirit:
    He knows, he at the end,
    Shall Life Inherit.
    Then Fancies fly away,
    He'll fear not what men say,
    He'll labour Night and Day,
    To be a Pilgrim.

    Lead Kindly Light

    John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

    Lead, kindly Light, amid th’ encircling gloom,
    Lead Thou me on!
    The night is dark, and I am far from home,
    Lead Thou me on!
    Keep Thou my feet! I do not ask to see
    The distant scene; one step enough for me.

    I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
    Should’st lead me on;
    I loved to choose and see my path; but now
    Lead Thou me on:
    I loved the garish day; and, spite of fears,
    Pride ruled my will; remember not past years.

    So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
    Will lead me on
    O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
    The night is gone:
    And with the morn those angle-faces smile,
    Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

    Jerusalem

    William Blake (1757-1827)

    And did those feet in ancient time
    Walk upon Englands mountains green:
    And was the holy Lamb of God,
    On Englands pleasant pastures seen?

    And did the Countenance Divine,
    Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
    And was Jerusalem builded here,
    Among these dark Satanic Mills?

    Bring me my Bow of burning gold:
    Bring me my Arrows of desire:
    Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
    Bring me my Chariot of fire!

    I will not cease from Mental Fight,
    Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand:
    Till we have built Jerusalem,
    In Englands green & pleasant Land.

    A Prospect of Heaven Makes Death Easy

    Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

    There is a land of pure delight
    Where saints immortal reign;
    Infinite day excludes the night,
    And pleasures banish pain.

    There everlasting spring abides,
    And never-withering flowers;
    Death like a narrow sea divides
    This heavenly land from ours.

    Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
    Stand dressed in living green:
    So to the Jews old Canaan stood,
    While Jordan rolled between.

    But timorous mortals start and shrink
    To cross this narrow sea,
    And linger shivering on the brink,
    And fear to launch away.

    Oh could we make our doubts remove,
    These gloomy doubts that rise,
    And see the Canaan that we love,
    With unbeclouded eyes;

    Could we but climb where Moses stood
    And view the landscape o’er,
    Not Jordan’s stream, nor death’s cold flood,
    Should fright us from the shore.

    From Ecclesiastical History of England

    Bede

    Another of the king's chief men, approving of his wise words and exhortations, added thereafter: ‘The present life of man upon earth, O king, seems to me, in comparison with that time which is unknown to us, like to the swift flight of a sparrow through the house wherein you sit at supper in winter, with your ealdormen and thanes, while the fire blazes in the midst, and the hall is warmed, but the wintry storms of rain or snow are raging abroad. The sparrow, flying in at one door and immediately out at another, whilst he is within, is safe from the wintry tempest; but after a short space of fair weather, he immediately vanishes out of your sight, passing from winter into winter again. So this life of man appears for a little while, but of what is to follow or what went before we know nothing at all.’

    From Meditation XVII

    John Donne

    Perchance he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. The church is Catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that body which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another.

    The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute that that occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God. Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? – but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world? No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.

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With Grace