There is a place in Paradise

There is a place in Paradise

There is a place in Paradise
where fragrant love extends,
where lives are lived in right and truth
and God and you are friends.
* Where God and we, where God and we,
where God and we are friends.

There is a place in Paradise
where lives are stressed with doubt;
but even in the darkest time
a glorious hope spreads out.

There is a place in Paradise
Love goes beyond its ends,
fatigue burns out the toiling heart;
still there Christ’s love extends.

There is a place in Paradise
where Jesus is new born,
where Christians start their lives anew
your sinful past is torn.
* Our sinful past, our sinful past,
Our sinful past is torn.

There is a place in Paradise
where Christ still stoops to heal;
where needy folk can be transformed –
their full soul is revealed.
* Our full soul is, our full soul is,
Our full soul is revealed.

There is a place in Paradise
where Jesus meets the Cross;
where earth and heaven reconcile
and no good life is lost.

There is a place in Paradise
the Risen life shines bright,
past and future and the Now
set Universe alight.

There is a place in Paradise;
the sum of moments all
where each one lives in endless joy
and with all Christians call.
* Alleluia, alleluia,
we with all Christians call.

Ted Witham 2013

Metre 8686D or CMD (or 8686 or CM)
Brother James’s Air (Hymns  of Glory Songs of Praise 16.) The lines marked * are to fit the extended fourth line in Brother James’s Air.
Watson (HGSP 71)
Kingsfold (HGSP 291 or TiS 585)

Christ in Glory (courtesy Wikipedia Commons). 17th Century – from the Ethiopian Gospels (held in the British Library)