God of Mercy and Compassion - A Lenten Hymn

When I was a child we used to sing the hymn "God of mercy and compassion" during Lent. Here is a link to the original version written by Edmund Vaughan. https://hymnary.org/text/god_of_mercy_and_compassion_look_with_piIt can be sung to the tune Augsburg, but there is a lovely French melody, Au Sang qu'un Dieu adapted from Pergolesi which is very beautiful and has the wonderful feel of a Lenten lament. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHpl5qqjknM

The original words feel very dated, and I notice that there has been at least one attempt to rewrite it, notably in the Laudate hymn book where the tune can be found as hymn number 840, where Michael Hodgetts has written a new set of words with the chorus "truth insistent and demanding, love resented and ignored". 

However, I felt that this new rewrite of the hymn had lost something of the personal lament and personal appeal to God to save us. I also felt that both the Hodgetts version and the original version had no mention of the effects of corporate sin, greed and selfishness upon the state of the world, and I felt that this needed to be rectified.

So here is my new version. Please feel free to reproduce the words as needed and use in public worship, streaming etc or adapt as necessary. There is no need to ask permission, but do feel free to get in touch if you have found this hymn useful in any way. It's always nice to hear positive feedback.

God of mercy and compassion, 

look with pity upon me;
Father, let me call you Father,

for your child longs to be free. 

 

Jesus, Lord, I ask for mercy;

let us not implore in vain;

we are trapped in guilt and sorrow,

help us never sin again. 

 

God of mercy and compassion, 

see the wounds within our world.

War and famine, shame and squalor;

greed and vengeance; cruel and wild. [Refrain]

 

We are far from grace and goodness;

from the peace of heav’n above
where the saints rejoice forever,
in a boundless sea of love. [Refrain]

 

See our Saviour, bleeding, dying, 

On the cross of Calvary;

To that cross our hate has nailed him,

yet he gives his life for me. [Refrain]

                                                           Text: SMW 2025