A song, a prayer for Christchurch, Our “City of Ruins”

Words by Richard Gillard

1       Safe harbour be, God of us all;

In our distress bring us to peace;
And though the darkness surely falls
Your kingdom’s light will yet increase.

2       Our dreams, like towers, are all thrown down
And much we loved is buried there;
Though quakes convulse once solid ground,
Our souls shall never yield to fear.

3       Loud is the troubled earth’s distress,
But louder still our songs of praise,
For all we see thrown down today
God in his pow’r and grace will raise.

4       There is a stream, whose rippling flow
Makes music that our souls can hear –
a song we’ve come to love and know
Reminding us that God is near.

5       Our story in that song we hear;
Our Maker’s hand in history
Works day and night to draw us near,
and brings us light that we might see. 

6       May we, assured of  Jesus’ love,
stand strong in every troubled place.
One with the Rock that will not move,
we speak his truth and share his grace.

Copyright © West Wind Music 2 Kiwi Avenue, Maunu Whangarei 0110 N.Z.
Gifted to the people of New Zealand, royalty free for, and into, the unforeseeable future.

Based on a hymn by Isaac Watts – may be sung to the folk tune O Waley, Waley (also known as the Water is Wide – get out your old Peter, Paul and Mary records, Rockingham (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross) or any other tune of  88.88 metre.
A nod here to Bruce Springsteen and his song “My City of Ruins”