Aug 2019 

(Hymn written May 2019)

The care of our planet, the threat of extinction

Chorus ……
Care for the planet that cradles our life, beautiful mystery:
Spark from the sun, flung out into space; part of our galaxy.

1)
Why are we here?  Will we survive?  Questions of origin;
What is our role ? How should we live? Where did it all begin?

Nov 2016

O, Lord we know that you made everything
Skies, mountains,land,seas,stars and planets too.
All they contain.trees.flowers.fruits and crops.
For these we show our grateful thanks to you

(Good for Chidren)

Chorus: All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small;
God made us to keep them safe,
so let’s protect them all.

1.      Each little flower that opens
feeds bees and butterflies,
so pollen goes by airmail
to plants of every size.

For life we rejoice;
A gift from God’s hand.
Creation gives voice;
The seas, skies and land.
Each proton, electron,
Each neutron and quark,
Show order from chaos,
Speak light into dark.

TuneL 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,
Around us everywhere,
The hills and vales, the trees and flowers,
Show forth your loving care.4. In times of grief and deep distress,
When all seems dark and drear,
We feel your presence with us Lord
To comfort and to cheer.

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

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.

As climate is warming
Will bees keep on swarming
If we just continue to damage the earth?
Will birds and sea-creatures,
With beautiful features,
Forever be lost by denying their worth?

The fields of many countries
are tilled to pay their debt,
and so disease and poverty
remain a constant threat.
Their goods, unfairly traded,
make losses for our gain,
as most of all the profits
in wealthy hands remain.

But the earth belongs to our children,
It’s not ours to destroy.
They will need its scarce resources,
To use and to enjoy. ……..

Lord of all whispering, speak in the leaves
the small voice that counsels each one who believes,
Lift our eyes to the mountain, give us peace from the field
and wash us with rain that our souls may be healed. ……..

June

Beneath the moon the ocean lifts its tide,
Help us to curb our poisoned human pride
Still may the whales, the fish and dolphins ride
Seas ever singing, ever singing ……..

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. …….. 

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.” . …….

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. …….