A New Earth Care Hymn from Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
FOREST GREEN CMD (“All Beautiful the March of Days”)
O God, Creator of all things, the earth belongs to you!
In love, you place it in our hands and give us work to do.
“Take care of what is mine!” you say. “Build up and don’t destroy.”
When we find courage to obey, your earth is filled with joy.
You move, O Lord, in mighty wind; your rivers ever run.
The earth contains great heat within; there’s power in the sun.
Creation holds great energy that’s plentiful and clean.
May we find in your gifts the key to keep creation green.
We thank you, Lord, for neighbors’ lands that grow organic food,
For co-op stores and produce stands that seek the common good,
For biking trails that clear the air, and trees that clean it, too,
For gardens plots that neighbors share, for all who work for you.
You give us minds to use for you and hands to lift in prayer;
You make us strong, creative, too, for your creation’s care.
As we recycle and conserve and advocate and pray,
May all we show thanks and love for what you give this day.
Tune: English folk melody, Arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.
Text: Copyright © 2012 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Web Site: www.carolynshymns.com Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THIS HYMN
“O God, Creator of All Things” is a new hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette that lifts up God’s call for Christians to care for the environment. It begins with an acknowledgement that to “have dominion” (Genesis 1:26) means to care for creation in a loving, responsible way. The hymn celebrates practical ways we can be good stewards of the earth: We can use God’s gifts of wind, water, geo-thermal, and solar energy. We can do our best to get our food from local, organic sources. We will see health benefits when we build community bike paths, plant trees, and work together with others in community gardens. God calls us as people of faith to work in personal, political, and prayerful ways to care for creation. Caring for God’s earth is simply a way of showing our daily thanks to God for all that God has given us.
This new hymn may be sung to the tune of FOREST GREEN CMD (“All Beautiful the March of Days”) or ELLACOMBE CMD (“I Sing the Mighty Power of God”).
MORE HYMNS FROM CAROLYN
- Creation care hymns and resources
- New hymns for Advent and Christmas, in The Presbyterian Outlook
- Carolyn’s hymn website
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