The Season of Creation is an annual, worldwide, ecumenical celebration of prayer and action for the environment which takes place from 1 September through to 4 October. In this week's home edition of the programme, we've hymns that focus on Nature including For the beauty of the earth and Touch the earth lightly.
View from John Reid Hut, Kahurangi Photo: CC 4.0 / Michel Klajban
SONG: AIN’-A THAT GOOD NEWS
Artist: The Graduate Choir, John Rosser (dir)
Words/Music: Trad arr Dawson
Recording: Atoll ACD 105
I've a crown up in the Kingdom,
Ain'-a that good news!
I've a crown up in the Kingdom,
Ain'-a that good news!
I'm a-goin' to lay down this world,
Goin' to shoulder up my cross,
Goin' to take it home to Jesus,
Ain'-a that good news!
I've a harp up in the Kingdom,
Ain'-a that good news!
I've a harp up in the Kingdom,
Ain'-a that good news!
I'm a-goin' to lay down this world,
Goin' to shoulder up my cross,
Goin' to take it home to Jesus,
Ain'-a that good news!
I've a robe up in the Kingdom,
Ain'-a that good news!
I've a robe up in the Kingdom,
Ain'-a that good news!
I'm a-goin' to lay down this world,
Goin' to shoulder up my cross,
Goin' to take it home to Jesus,
Ain'-a that good news!
I've a Saviour in the Kingdom,
Ain'-a that good news!
I've a Saviour in the Kingdom,
Ain'-a that good news!
I'm a-goin' to lay down this world,
Goin' to shoulder up my cross,
Goin' to take it home to Jesus,
Ain'-a that good news!
SONG: PSALM 47 – O CLAP YOUR HANDS TOGETHER
Artist: Choir of St John’s, Elora
Words/Music: Psalm 47/William Crotch
Recording: Naxos 8.572540
O clap your hands together, all ye peoples:
O sing unto God with the voice of melody.
For the Lord most high is to be feared:
he is the great King over all the earth.
He subdued the peoples under us,
and the nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us,
even the glorious land of Jacob whom he loved.
God is gone up with a merry noise,
and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet.
O sing praises, sing praises unto our God:
O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.
For God is the King of all the earth:
sing ye praises with understanding.
God reigneth over the nations:
God sitteth upon his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples are gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham:
For the rulers of the earth belong unto God;
he is the very highly exalted.
SONG: GIVE TO OUR GOD IMMORTAL PRAISE
Artist: Coventry Singers
Words/Music: Isaac Watts/Ralph Harrison
Recording: Mission Praise 2013
Give to our God immortal praise:
mercy and truth are all his ways;
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.
He built the earth, he spread the sky,
and fixed the starry lights on high:
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.
He sent His Son with power to save
from guilt and darkness and the grave;
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.
SONG: FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
Artist: Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, Mack Wilberg (dir)
Words/Music: Folliat Pierpoint/Conrad Kocher
Recording: Mormon Tabernacle Choir 2005
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
over and around us lies:
Refrain:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light:
Refrain:
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Refrain:
SONG: TOUCH THE EARTH LIGHTLY
Artist: Durham St Methodist Church Choir, Christchurch
Words/Music: Shirley Murray/Colin Gibson
Recording: Private CD 817
Touch the earth lightly,
use the earth gently,
nourish the life of the world in our care:
gift of great wonder,
ours to surrender,
trust for the children tomorrow will bear.
We who endanger,
who create hunger,
agents of death for all creatures that live,
we who would foster
clouds of disaster,
God of our planet, forestall and forgive!
Let there be greening,
birth from the burning,
water that blesses and air that is sweet,
health in God's garden,
hope in God's children,
regeneration that peace will complete.
God of all living,
God of all loving,
God of the seedling, the snow and the sun,
teach us, deflect us,
Christ reconnect us,
using us gently, and making us one.
SONG: O THE DEEP, DEEP LOVE OF JESUS
Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington, Michael Stewart (dir), Richard Apperley (organ)
Words/Music: Samuel Francis/Thomas Williams
Recording: RNZ 2020
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
vast, unmeasured, boundless, free,
rolling as a mighty ocean
in its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me,
is the current of Thy love;
leading onward, leading homeward
to my glorious rest above.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
changeth never, nevermore!
How He watcheth o'er His loved ones,
died to call them all His own;
how for them He intercedeth,
watcheth o'er them from the throne.
Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Love of every love the best:
vast the ocean of his blessing,
sweet the haven of his rest!
Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus,
very heaven of heavens to me,
and it lifts me up to glory,
evermore his face to see.
SONG: HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING
Artist: The Birralee Blokes, Paul Holley (dir), Ashreya Ward (oboe), Justine Favell (piano)
Words/Music: Robert Lowry
Recording: ABC 476509
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His
How can I keep from singing?
SONG: TO YOU WE BRING OUR HYMN OF PRAISE
Artist: St Michael’s Singers, Coventry Cathedral
Words/Music: Stuart Townend, Matt Maher, Kelly Minter
Recording: Integrity Music 2007
To you we bring our hymn of praise; glory be to God.
Hearts and hands together raised; glory be to God.
Who spoke before the dawn of time; glory be to God.
Veil of darkness torn by light; glory be to God.
And with unceasing voice all heaven sings; glory be to God
The anthem of the Lord’s redeemed; glory be to God
You purchased captives for Your saints; glory be to God
And opened wide the kingdom gates; glory be to God
You overcame the sting of death; glory be to God
And clothed us in Christ’s righteousness; glory be to God
And all Your children cry with loud acclaim; glory be to God
Sing O church Your sweet refrain; glory be to God
Glory, glory, glory, glory forever and ever.
Glory, glory, glory, glory forever and ever. (x2)
Father, Spirit, risen Son; glory be to God.
Who was and is and is to come; glory be to God.
And with unceasing voice all heaven sings; glory be to God
The anthem of the Lord’s redeemed; glory be to God.
And all Your children cry with loud acclaim; glory be to God
Sing O church Your sweet refrain; glory be to God.
Glory, glory, glory, glory forever and ever.
Glory, glory, glory, glory forever and ever.
