As usual, this week's suggested hymns derive from our bible readings with the first inspired by today's Epistle to the Colossians. The other three all derive from John's gospel that so often closes carol services; "The word made flesh".

SHF 54 Christ is made the sure foundation - https://youtu.be/HHpU8vJw9UA
CP 625 Word of God, come down on earth - https://youtu.be/K_LbaIEiUEE
CP 328 The Son of God proclaim - https://youtu.be/WLJBW1IgDT0
CP 235 The great forerunner of the morn - https://youtu.be/3LxRssgFW88

Each week, the hymns proposed assume everyone will be viewing the service on a Sunday morning, but of course the reality with on-line services such as ours, is that you can use them at any time of day, or day of the week and I know some people do. The morning assumption usually rules out many hymns written for use later in the day. Rather than neglect such items, I will start to offer some of these as 'bonus items'. This week I recorded one very familiar Welsh tune based evening hymn and also the ultra-ancient text by the 4th century St Ambrose 'Te lucis ante terminum', 'Before the end of the day.' I have used the plainsong based tune from the Sarum Rite, the liturgy used in Salisbury prior to the Reformation.

AMR 26 God that madest earth and heaven - https://youtu.be/ryq8XjjDRO4
AMR 16 Before the ending of the day - https://youtu.be/3gPZIjKJ20U

I find later in the day can be a very reflective time and I commend the many online Evensong services now available as a chance for peaceful thought. The BBC Choral Evensongs on R3 Wednesday and Sunday afternoons have been a mainstay for many years but there are now many live/pseudo live and other streams from various cathedrals and other places.

Best regards,

Mel.