Lift your voices (website only)
- Authors & translators:
- Murphy, Andrew T
- Theme:
- Marriage
- Metre:
- 10.8.10.9. and refrain
- Tune:
- Sing Hosanna
- Composers & arrangers:
- Anonymous (comp)
- Composers & arrangers:
- Warren, Norman Leonard
- Hymns on StF+:
- Hymns only online (submit to stfplus@methodistchurch.org.uk)
A Wedding Hymn
(To the tune ‘Sing Hosanna’)
1. Here is love in our great celebration;
Here is love in this bride and groom;
Here is love from the whole congregation:
Overflowing blessings fill this room.
Refrain
Lift your voices! Church rejoices,
Celebrating on this happy day!
Vows expressing love and blessing;
Joined by God in every way.
2. God is here in our music and laughter;
God is here bringing love divine;
God is here wishing joy ever after,
Turning water into his new wine!
Refrain
3. Give them grace to be kind and forgiving.
Give them strength for the road ahead.
Give them joy, for this life is worth living.
And your love can be their daily bread.
Refrain
Words: © Andrew T. Murphy 2013
Metre: 10.8.10.9 and refrain
Suggested tune: Sing hosanna (StF 76, 539)
More information
Written for the Wedding of Rebecca James and Liam McNulty – March 2013.
The Revd Andy Murphy writes that this hymn takes its inspiration from On this Baptism day by Paul Wood (StF 539), which also uses the tune for Give me joy in my heart (StF 76). Andy was discussing wedding hymns with Rebecca and Liam, who were toying with "Give me joy...". However, Rebcecca's mother had been at a baptism where Andy used Paul's hymn, and loved that re-working of this popular tune. She welcomed Andy's suggestion that he might also write something completely new, but this time for a wedding. It worked well, Andy says, as a joyful, uplifting end to the service.
Andy's words allude to a couple of biblical passages: in verse 2, the story of a wedding in Caana, at which Jesus miraculously turns water into wine for the guests ( John 2: 1-11 ) ; and in verse 3, Jesus's use of bread as an image for how God can love and "feed" us (e.g. John 6: 24-35 ).
(To the tune ‘Sing Hosanna’)
1. Here is love in our great celebration;
Here is love in this bride and groom;
Here is love from the whole congregation:
Overflowing blessings fill this room.
Refrain
Lift your voices! Church rejoices,
Celebrating on this happy day!
Vows expressing love and blessing;
Joined by God in every way.
2. God is here in our music and laughter;
God is here bringing love divine;
God is here wishing joy ever after,
Turning water into his new wine!
Refrain
3. Give them grace to be kind and forgiving.
Give them strength for the road ahead.
Give them joy, for this life is worth living.
And your love can be their daily bread.
Refrain
Words: © Andrew T. Murphy 2013
Metre: 10.8.10.9 and refrain
Suggested tune: Sing hosanna (StF 76, 539)
More information
Written for the Wedding of Rebecca James and Liam McNulty – March 2013.
The Revd Andy Murphy writes that this hymn takes its inspiration from On this Baptism day by Paul Wood (StF 539), which also uses the tune for Give me joy in my heart (StF 76). Andy was discussing wedding hymns with Rebecca and Liam, who were toying with "Give me joy...". However, Rebcecca's mother had been at a baptism where Andy used Paul's hymn, and loved that re-working of this popular tune. She welcomed Andy's suggestion that he might also write something completely new, but this time for a wedding. It worked well, Andy says, as a joyful, uplifting end to the service.
Andy's words allude to a couple of biblical passages: in verse 2, the story of a wedding in Caana, at which Jesus miraculously turns water into wine for the guests ( John 2: 1-11 ) ; and in verse 3, Jesus's use of bread as an image for how God can love and "feed" us (e.g. John 6: 24-35 ).