A New Zealand Prayer Book / He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa

Additional Songs of Praise

At the discretion of the minister, any of the following may be used in place of the Song of Praise appointed.

The Desert shall Blossom
(especially suitable in Advent)

1 The desert shall re′joice and ′ blossom;
it shall re′joice with ′ gladness · and ′ singing.
2 The glory of the Lord shall ′ be re′vealed:
and the ′ majes·ty ′ of our ′ God.
3 Then shall the eyes of the ′ blind be ′ opened:
and the ′ ears · of the ′ deaf un′stopped;
4 then shall the lame ′ leap · like the ′ hart:
and the tongue of the ′ dumb shall ′ sing for ′ joy.
5† For waters shall break ′ forth · in the ′ wilderness:
and ′ streams ′ in the ′ desert.
6 The ransomed of the ′ Lord · shall re′turn:
and come with singing,
with everlasting ′ joy up′on their ′ heads.
7 They shall obtain ′ joy and ′ gladness:
and sorrow and ′ sighing · shall ′ flee a′way.
Isaiah 35:1, 2, 5, 6, 10

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the be′ginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

96 Liturgies of the Word

God’s Chosen One
(especially suitable at Christmas)

1 There shall come forth a shoot from the ′ stump of ′ Jesse:
and a ′ branch · shall grow ′ out of · its ′ roots,
2 and the Spirit of the Lord shall ′ rest up′on him:
the spirit of ′ wisdom · and ′ under′standing,
3 the spirit of ′ counsel · and ′ might:
the spirit of knowledge and the ′ fear ′ of the ′ Lord.
4 He shall not judge by what his ′ eyes ′ see:
or decide by ′ what his ′ ears ′ hear,
5 but with righteousness he shall ′ judge the ′ poor:
and decide with ′ equity · for the ′ meek of · the ′ earth.
6 The wolf shall ′ dwell · with the ′ lamb:
and the leopard shall ′ lie down ′ with the ′ kid,
7 and the calf and the′ lion cub · to′gether:
and a ′ little ′ child shall ′ lead them.
8 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my ′ holy ′ mountain:
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord‿
as the ′ waters ′ cover · the ′ sea.
Isaiah 11:1–4, 6, 9

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the be′ginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

The Time of God’s Favour
(especially suitable at Epiphany)

1 Listen to ′ me you ′ islands:
and hearken you ′ peoples ′ from a′far.
2 My servant, in the time of my favour ′ I will ′ answer you:
and in the day of sal′vation ′ I will ′ help you;
3 to re′store the ′ land:
and share out a′fresh its ′ deso·late ′ fields;
Daily Services / Songs of Praise 97
4 to say to the ′ captives · ‘Go ′ free’:
and to those in darkness, ′ ‘Come forth ′ into ′ light.’
5 They will feed be′side the ′ way:
and find pasture on ′ every ′ barren ′ hill.
6 They will neither ′ hunger · nor ′ thirst:
nor will the desert heat or the ′ sun ′ beat up′on them,
7† for the One who ′ loves them · will ′ guide them:
and lead them be′side the ′ springs of ′ water.
8 Shout for joy O heavens and ex′ult O ′ earth:
break forth O ′ mountains ′ into ′ song;
9 for I the Lord will ′ comfort · my ′ people:
and will have compassion on my ′ own in ′ their dis′tress.
Isaiah 49:1, 8–10, 13

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the be′ginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

Prayer of Manasseh (abridged)
(especially suitable in Lent)

1 O Lord almighty and ′ God · of our ′ ancestors:
you made the heavens and the earth ′‿
in their ′ glorious · ar′ray.
2 All things quake with fear ′ at your ′ presence:
and ′ tremble · be′cause · of your ′ power.
3 But your merciful promise is be′yond all ′ measure:
it surpasses ′ all · that our ′ minds can ′ fathom.
4 Lord you are′ full · of com′passion:
long-suffering,′ and a′bounding · in ′ mercy.
5 And now O Lord I ′ humble · my ′ heart:
and make my appeal, ′ sure · of your ′ gracious ′ goodness.
6 For you O Lord are the ′ God · of the ′ penitent:
and in me you will ′ show ′ forth your ′ goodness.
98 Liturgies of the Word
7 Unworthy as I am ′ you will ′ save me:
and so I will praise you continually, ′
all the ′ days · of my ′ life.
8 For all the host of heaven ′ sing your ′ praises:
and your ′ glory · is for ′ ever · and ′ ever.

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the be′ginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

He was Despised and Rejected
(especially suitable in Passiontide)

1 Who would have believed what ′ we have ′ heard:
and to whom has the power of the ′ Lord ′ been re′vealed?
2 He grew up before the Lord like a ′ tender ′ plant:
like a ′ root · out of ′ arid ′ ground.
3 He had no beauty, no majesty to ′ draw our ′ eyes:
no grace to ′ make us · de′light in ′ him.
4 He was des′pised · and re′jected:
a man of ′ sorrows · and fa′miliar · with ′ suffering.
5 Like one from whom people ′ hide their ′ faces:
he was despised, and ′ we es′teemed him ′ not.
6 Surely he has borne our griefs and ′ carried · our ′ sorrows:
yet we considered him stricken,
smitten by ′ God, ′ and af′flicted.
7 But he was wounded for ′ our trans′gressions:
he was ′ bruised for ′ our in′iquities.
8 The punishment that brought us peace was ′ laid up·on ′ him:
and by his ′ wounds ′ we are ′ healed.
Isaiah 53:1–5

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the be′ginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

Daily Services / Songs of Praise 99

The Song of Moses
(especially suitable at Easter)

1 I will sing to the Lord,
for the Lord has ′ triumphed ′ gloriously:
the horse and its rider‿
have been ′ thrown ′ into · the ′ sea.
2 The Lord is my ′ strength · and my ′ song:
and has be′come ′ my sal′vation.
3 This is my God, whom ′ I will ′ praise:
the God of my ′ forbears · whom ′ I · will ex′alt.
4 Who is like you O Lord a′mong the ′ gods:
who is like ′ you ma′jestic · in ′ holiness?
5 Who is like you O Lord a′mong the ′ gods:
terrible in glorious ′ deeds and ′ doing ′ wonders?
6 In your unfailing love you will lead‿
the people ′ you · have re′deemed:
in your strength you will‿
guide them ′ to your ′ holy ′ dwelling.
7 You will bring them in and plant them‿
on the mountain of ′ your in′heritance:
the place O Lord that ′‿
you have ′ made for · your ′ dwelling,
8 the sanctuary O Lord that your ′ hands · have e′stablished:
you Lord will ′ reign for ′ ever · and ′ ever.
Exodus 15:1, 2, 11, 13, 17

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the be′ginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

100 Liturgies of the Word

Our Great High Priest
(especially suitable at Ascension)

1 In you, Jesus, Son of God, we have a ′ great high ′ priest:
you have passed through the heavens,
and are seated at the right ′ hand of ′ God on ′ high.
2 Therefore we hold fast to the faith that ′ we pro′fess:
for you are not a high priest who is unable‿
to′ sympath·ise ′ with our ′ weaknesses.
3 In every respect you have been ′ tempted · as ′ we are:
and ′ yet you ′ did not ′ sin.
4 Although a Son, you learned obedience‿
through ′ what you ′ suffered:
and being made perfect, you have become the source‿
of eternal sal′vation · for ′ all · who o′bey you.
5 This gives us ′ every ′ confidence:
to draw ′ near · to the ′ throne of ′ grace.
6 There we re′ceive ′ mercy:
and find grace to ′ help in ′ time of ′ need.
based on Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:8, 9; 8:1

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the be′ginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

Life in the Spirit
(especially suitable at Pentecost)

1 In Christ the life-giving ′ law · of the ′ Spirit:
has set us free from the ′ law of ′ sin and ′ death.
2 All who are led by the Spirit of God are ′ children · of ′ God:
it is the Spirit that enables us to ′ cry, ′ Abba, ′ Father.
3 The Spirit confirms that ′ we are · God’s ′ children:
and if ′ children · then ′ we are ′ heirs.
Daily Services / Songs of Praise 101
4 We are heirs of God, and fellow-′heirs with ′ Christ:
if we share his suffering now,
in order to ′ share his ′ splendour · here′after.
5 The sufferings we ′ now en′dure:
bear no comparison with the ′ splendour ′‿
to be ′ shown to us.
6 The created universe itself waits with ′ eager ′ longing:
for the children of ′ God to ′ be re′vealed.
based on Romans 8:2, 14–19

Glory to the Father and ′ to the ′ Son:
and ′ to the ′ Holy ′ Spirit;
as it was in the be′ginning · is ′ now:
and shall be for ′ ever. ′ A′men.

A Song of Creation Benedicite

1 Let the whole creation ′ bless the ′ Lord:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
2 Bless the ′ Lord you ′ heavens:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
3 Bless the Lord you ′ angels · of the ′ Lord:
bless the ′ Lord · all you ′ heavenly ′ hosts;

(verses 4–17 may be omitted)

4 bless the Lord you waters a′bove the ′ heavens:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
5 Bless the Lord ′ sun and ′ moon:
bless the ′ Lord you ′ stars of ′ heaven;
6 bless the Lord all ′ rain and ′ dew:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
7 Bless the Lord all ′ winds that ′ blow:
bless the ′ Lord you ′ fire and ′ heat;
8 bless the Lord scorching wind and ′ bitter ′ cold:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
102 Liturgies of the Word
9 Bless the Lord dews and ′ falling ′ snow:
bless the ′ Lord you ′ nights and ′ days;
10 bless the Lord ′ light and ′ darkness:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
11 Bless the Lord ′ frost and ′ cold:
bless the ′ Lord you ′ ice and ′ snow;
12 bless the Lord ′ lightnings · and ′ clouds:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
13 O let the earth ′ bless the ′ Lord:
bless the ′ Lord you ′ mountains and ′ hills;
14 bless the Lord all that ′ grows · in the ′ soil:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
15 Bless the Lord you ′ springs of ′ water:
bless the ′ Lord you ′ seas and ′ rivers;
16 bless the Lord you whales‿
and all that ′ swim · in the ′ waters:
praise and exalt our ′ God for ′ ever.
17 Bless the Lord all ′ birds · of the ′ air:
bless the ′ Lord you ′ beasts and ′ cattle;
18 bless the Lord all you ′ dwellers · on ′ earth:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
19 Bless the Lord you ′ people · of ′ God:
bless the ′ Lord you ′ priests · of the ′ Lord;
20 bless the Lord you ′ servants · of the ′ Lord:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
21 Bless the Lord all you that are ′ upright · in ′ spirit:
bless the Lord you that are ′ holy ·‿
and ′ humble · in ′ heart.
22 Let us bless the Father, the Son and the ′ Holy ′ Spirit:
praise and ex′alt our ′ God for ′ ever.
Song of the Three Young Men, 35–65
Daily Services / Songs of Praise 103