The God who made the world

The God who made the world and everything therein,

Who is the Lord of heaven and earth since all time did begin;

 

This God lives not in shrines built up by human hands;

The One who gives us life and breath beyond such walls expands.

 

The nations all God made to live across the earth,

And set their times and places, too, so they might seek God's worth.

 

In God we live and move and have our being all;

For we are God's own offspring, too; so let us on God call.

 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, April 2026, after Acts 17:24-28

MUSIC: Suggested tune ST. BRIDE, Samuel Howard, 1762.

 

 

A text drawn from Paul's speech at the Areopagus is the basis for this fairly simple hymn, hopefully suitable for Easter 6A. It should be fairly adaptable to other short-meter tunes. 

 

 

 

  

The stones that struck the deacon down

The stones that struck the deacon down

         came not from soldiers' hands,

For neither law nor government

         did issue such commands.

No, those who seized and dragged him out

         to crush his life away

Are given no name or title here;

         the scripture calls them "they".

 

How often since, in centuries gone,

         have deeds of violence

Been done by those unnamed, unknown;

         the darkness their defense.

Our history hides in darkened doors

         while we still look away

While nameless, faceless, masked-up hate

         is killing still today.

 

Enslaving barons stealing lives

         across the distant seas

To hold in chains, to whip and shame

         and bring down to their knees;

Indigenous children taken, too,

         from family and from names;

And garment girls locked in the shop

         to perish in its flames.

 

No, Stephen likely was not first

         and certainly not last

To be struck down by mindless rage

         while we still stand aghast.

Lord, give us righteous anger now

         to make such violence cease,

And kneel before your holy throne

         and yield before your peace.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, April 2026, after Acts 7:55-60.

MUSIC: Tune RESIGNATION, USA folk melody, Lewis's Beauties of Harmony, 1828.

 

 

References in verse 3: kidnapping, trafficking, and enslaving Africans in North America; kidnapping of Indigenous children and inserting them into "Indian schools" to strip away all Indian-ness; the death of over one hundred workers at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory by fire with the factory doors locked.