Hymns – on Green Christian themes – for use in churches and schools
Here are the words of fifteen hymns, on “Care for Creation” themes that you may like to use, to be sung to well known tunes. New ones are being added.
The authors are happy for people to print their hymn for services and non commercial publications etc provided that the exact words are printed, and that the authors are credited. They would be pleased to hear where the hymns are being used.
These will appear in the book “Environment Praise” (details)
Some were written for the Settle Methodist Circuit Hymn Competition in 2001, and one added at the beginning – from the 2016 Competition.
| M.th | Title | Author | Comment, Tune and Example Verse (Not necessarily first verse) | Short comment |
| 0.1 Nov | O, Lord we know that you made everything | Win Walters | This was first prize in the local section for the 2016 Settle Methodist Circuit Hymn Competition: Theme: The God of Creation. Recommended Tune: Peel Castle, Hymns and Psalms 346 O, Lord we know that you made everything | |
| 1. Jan | Creator God, abundant Life your mark – | Mrs Pat Bennett | Sung at The Operation Noah Service on 4th November at the start of the Stop Climate Chaos Demonstrations.The hymn can be heard briefly in the interview with the Bishop of London on Radio 4 It was entered for the Settle Methodist Circuit hymn competition on the Environment in 2001 . We pledge to touch all things with holy care Until your coming Kingdom ends despair Then all the world will witness and will share The jubilation – Of healed creation. ……. | Good for pledging yourself to action |
| 2. Feb | The Glory of Creation – | Denzil Walton | Written for the Second Sunday before Lent – Creation / Environment Sunday in the Old Lectionary.The Second Sunday before Lent was treated as Environment or Creation Sunday in the Old Lectionary and still is in some versions of the Anglican Lectionary.(Tune: Ewing or to other 7.6.7.6 D hymns) – and used by several visitors to this website for the occasion. . Deep mysteries, of oceans and unknown outer space, Migration paths of swallows, the eagle’s nesting place. The more we gain in knowledge, the less we understand This world so rich and complex, created by God’s hand …….. | Some beautiful descriptions of Nature |
| 3. Mar | What the Lord Creates | Jessica, Emily and Sam Crawshaw | This hymn – sung to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star – won first prize in the Children’s Section of the Settle Methodist Circuit and CEL Environment Hymn Competition 2001 . Praise him, Praise him, Praise the Lord For the wonders of the world. For the people big and small For the animals short and tall We will care for all these things That our Lord Creator brings. ……. | Could get your children to add extra verses. |
| 4. Apr | Entwining Circles | Jean MacDonald | Set to the folk tune “Waly Waly“, this song reminds us that entwining circles “Join us with sea and earth and sky”, the earth is suffering form pollution.. So we believe, Creator God, We make a difference when we say Like that young boy with two small fish, ” Here, take and share my gifts today.” . ……. | Haunting tune |
| 5. May | The Earth is the Lord’s | Gerald H Gardiner | .. touching on harvest, delight in creation, and our present multi-faith society, . (Tune: Lord of the Dance). The earth is the Lord’s, sing Christian and Jew, Sacred the earth for Muslim, Sikh, Hindu. Reverence for life is the Buddhist way, Violence none, in all we do and say. …….. | Good tune. Multi faith element |
| 6 June | Creator God | Jenny Baines | Sung to Sine nomine (For all the saints…). Beneath the moon the ocean lifts its tide, | This can make a joyful and moving end to an environment service. |
| 7. Sept | Lord of All Lang-uages | Audrey Theodosia Bryant | Sung to Slade (Lord of all hopefulness). Lord of all whispering, speak in the leaves | Spiritual and thoughtful.6 Verses |
| 8. Oct | For the beauty of the earth | Sheila Redmond | Sung to: As the Deer Pants. But the earth belongs to our children, | Nice tune. Practical straight forward words |
| 9. Aug ’08 | Good gifts for all | Alison Blenkinsop | Sung to “We plough the fields and scatter”. The fields of many countries | Hymn with green/ fairtrade / debt themes to well known harvest tune. |
| 10. | Green Bottle Decade | Audrey Bryant | Ten green bottles standing on the wall, Ten green bottles standing on the wall And if one green bottle should accidently fall There’ll be nine green bottles standing on the wall.One green bottle nearly full of oil From the world’s great caverns under sea and soil, Supplies are running out with ever rarer finds – They’re trying to fill it up with oil of different kinds. When this green bottle is empty it will fall And there’ll be nine green bottles standing on the wall. | Sung to ten green bottles |
| 11. Aug ’09 | Climate is Warming | George Stuart | Sung to “The Ash Grove”. As climate is warming | Our first “Climate Change” hymn. |
| 12. Nov | Mother Earth | Audrey Theodosia Bryant | Oh mother earth, we take to Copenhagen our last, our deepest hope of all, to live within our means, *no more delay, gone are heady days when men could steal and stall. Now look ahead, you delegates of nations, and see our children, what their lives are worth – to live at last in knowing we’re relations, Christ’s family and offspring of our mother earth. | Written for Copenhagen and CEL |
| 13 | Weaver God | Kate Compston | I haven’t got copyright for this – so can’t put the hymn on this site – but I give a link to where it is printed elsewhere and to a recording of the hymn. Here is the last verse:Weavers we are called, yet woven too we’re born. For the web is seamless: if we tear we’re torn. Gently may we live – that fragile earth is left, Love and justice joined – the fabric’s warp and weft. Tune:Noel Nicolette | Local Preacher John Anderson used this at a service in the Bradford district. |
| 14 | God’s Goodness | Mary Whitfield | Written in farming community in 2001 (Foot and Mouth year). C.M. Beatitudo (J.B. Dykes 1823-76) Words usually sung to this tune: Fill thou my life, O Lord my God H&P 792(ii) 1. Oh Lord the beauty that we see, |
Links to other websites with songs or hymns
Season of creation – Songs- – Habel Hymns Volume One- Songs for Celebrating with Creation
Let All Creation Praise links to more hymns you can use
Next: God’s Goodness – Hymn about nature, farming and God’s love for us in times of stress
Previous: Creator God, Abundant Life your Mark
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