All creatures of our God on high

All creatures of our God on high,

Who swim and run and hop and fly,

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Cry out from land and sea and air!

Cry praise to God from everywhere!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

Cry praise, you lions on the plain,

You goats who roam the high terrain,

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Cry out, you whales that roam the deep,

You otters, who your vigil keep,

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

Sing out your praises from the sky,

You birds who 'cross the heavens fly!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

You bees and insects that take flight,

Sound forth your praise before God's sight!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

You who our homes do fill with grace,

Cry out your praise from every place!

Alleluia! Alleluia! 

Cats, dogs, and rabbits, many more; 

Birds, fish your Maker now adore!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

Animals all, join in the song!

All creatures to our God belong.

Alleluia! Alleluia! 

All you who run, swim, or take wing,

Lift up your voice and with us sing!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, October 2022, after St. Francis of Assissi

MUSIC: Tune LASST UNS EFREUEN, Geistlichen Kirkengesang, 1623; alt.

One of the results of a hymn workshop I attended October 19-22. Did you ever notice that there really aren't all that many creatures in "All creatures of our God and King"? Our clinician did, and that meant I couldn't sleep until I came up with something to address that deficit. I could see it for a "blessing of the animals" event or maybe a Creation season service especially, but that doesn't mean it can't be used other times. 

 

God has made us all a family!

God has made us all a family!

Joined to God through Christ we are. 

God adopts us all as children,

Welcomes all, both near and far.

Through our Christ, to whom be glory,

God has made us family!

 

In Christ also we inherit

All that God's good will does give,

And are destined for God's purpose,

In Christ's grace to love and live.

Through our Christ, to whom be glory,

God has made us family!

 

God our parent, Christ our brother,

Joined in sibling bonds are we.

Therefore let us love each other

Now and in the age to be.

Through our Christ, to whom be glory,

God has made us family!

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, October 2022, ref. Ephesians 1:5-6, 11.

MUSIC: Tune REGENT SQUARE, Henry Thomas Smart, 1867.

 

 

Let's just say that there are surprisingly few hymns in GtG that explore the differing ideas of "family" in scripture, so this got written for one aspect of that (and for a need that didn't have a lot of time to be filled).

 

In life, in death, we are God's own

In life, in death, we are God's own, in this life and beyond.

Through Jesus's grace, through God's true love, through Holy Spirit's bond,

We trust in God, the One in Three, in Israel's Holy One. 

We serve and worship God alone, from now till time is done.

 

We trust in Jesus, man and God, whose life became our call.

We trust in the creating God, we in that image all.

We trust in Holy Spirit who renews our life each day.

In Spirit's power, with thanks to God, we serve in Christ's own way.

 

With all who claim the name of Christ, in every time and place,

Rejoice that none can keep us from God's love in Jesus's grace.

All glory to the Father high, all glory to the Son,

All glory to the Spirit dear, the blessed Three in One.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, October 2022, after A Brief Statement of Faith.

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

 

 

Still contemplating A Brief Statement of Faith. While the middle verse cannot possibly hope to encompass the richness of those three central sections of the statement, this hymn does give the opening and closing of the statement their time to shine. As for the tune, apparently when in doubt I run to RESIGNATION.  

We trust in God, whom Jesus called his Father

We trust in God, whom Jesus called his Father; 

This world did God create and call it good. 

In love God made us all in God's own image,

Of every gender, race, and neighborhood.

To live in holy, right and true communion;

This is our call for living as we should.

 

But we rebel and hide from our Creator. 

God's own commandments we have brushed aside.

We mar God's image in ourselves and others,

And break this planet where we all abide,

Take lies for truth, exploit both world and neighbor.

God could condemn us, should God so decide.

 

But God is just; in mercy God redeems us; 

God chose a people to bless all the earth.

God heard their cry, delivered them from bondage,

And makes us heirs with Christ in his new birth. 

God acts in love to care for all the people

Named as God's children, reckoned as God's worth.

 

God, like a mother caring for her children,

Will not forsake the smallest, lowliest child.

God, like a father running to the wanderer,

Welcomes us home, no matter how defiled.

We trust in God, whom Jesus called his father, 

And who desires us to be reconciled.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, October 2022, based on PC(USA) Book of Confessions 11.3 from A Brief Statement of Faith.

MUSIC: Tune FINLANDIA, Jean Sibelius, 1898. 

A few years ago came the first of these hymns based on this particular statement from the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Book of Confessions, and the second came a little more than a week ago. It seemed silly not to go ahead and take on the third challenge, based on the second portion of the statement (the Brief Statement takes the Trinity in the order Jesus-God-Spirit). Since the 40th anniversary of the reunion that produced this Statement is next year, it felt timely to do so. 

This is the day the Lord has made

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice! Be glad!

Save us, O Lord; let all our lives be in your armor clad. 

 

Blessed is the one who comes to us, who comes in God's own name.

Let us give blessing from God's house, his honor to proclaim.

 

God is the Lord, who shows us light; God shows us life and light.

Now let our offering be raised up, upon the altar's height.

 

God is our Lord, and only God; to God we lift our praise.

God is our Lord! Now let us all exalt him all our days.

 

Now we give thanks unto the Lord; for God alone is good. 

God's mercy is forevermore and has for ages stood.

 

 

Text: Charles Spence Freeman, October 2022, after Psalm 118:24-29 and Isaac Watts's "This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made."

MUSIC: Tune NUN DANKET ALL' UND BRINGET EHR', Johann Crüger, c.1647.

 

 

I had chosen the Watts hymn for a service this coming Sunday (10/9/22), and also for a hymn devotional lesson during the week. Delving into the hymn and its origins, and wondering at some of Watts's choices, somehow turned into writing a version of my own from the source psalm verses, staying away from Watts's Christianizing impulse and trying to let the psalm speak on its own terms. Make of it what you will. 

We trust in Christ

We trust in Christ, both God and fully human, 

Who showed to all the coming reign of God:

Who brought good news to those lives poor and broken,

Freedom to captives snared in systems flawed; 

Who taught not only in those words he spoke then, 

But also in the works and deeds he showed.

 

He blessed the children, healed the sick and wounded,

Bound up the hearts broken by cruel fates;

He ate with those unwanted by the masses,

Forgave us all bound fast in sinful states.

He called us all to live in true repentance

And to believe in God who for us waits.

 

Wrongly condemned by lies of cruel hatred,

Jesus was taken, bound, and crucified.

The depths of human pain he fully suffered,

And for the sinfulness of all, he died.

But God did raise him from death's cruel prison!

No more could sin our souls from God divide.

 

The power of sin and evil now is broken;

We are delivered now from death to life. 

The sinless life that Jesus lived among us

Is vindicated, no more caught in strife.

We trust in Christ, both God and fully human,

Who brings us home to God's full reign of life.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, September 2022, based on PC(USA) Book of Confessions 11.2 from A Brief Statement of Faith.

MUSIC: Tune FINLANDIA, Jean Sibelius, 1898.

 

A second hymn text developed from the PC(USA) A Brief Statement of Faith. It occurs to me that next year should mark the 40th anniversary of the Presbyterian unification that this statement was created to commemorate. Hmm...I feel a sermon-and-hymn series coming on some time next year.

The steadfast love of God

The steadfast love of God will never cease nor fail; 

The mercies of the Lord are sure and will prevail.

Remember love! Remember and take hope in God's unfailing love!

 

God's faithfulness is great, God's mercies ever new; 

Our Lord will our salvation be; this hope is true. 

Remember love! Remember and take hope in God's unfailing love!

 

The Lord is surely good to those who seek and wait;

For those who wait in quiet hope God's love is great.

Remember love! Remember and take hope in God's unfailing love!

 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, September 2022, after Lamentations 3:21-26.

MUSIC: Tune DARWALL'S 148TH, John Darwall, 1770.

 

 

When in a dry spell, go find a scripture upon which to meditate. That seems to work here. Obscure lectionary readings keep on giving.