Scripture Verse

I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

Introduction

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Cathy Yost

Words: Cathy Yost, 2000. This hymn was the win­ning en­try in Oc­to­ber, 2000, of a na­tion­al Cre­ation Hymn Com­pe­ti­tion spon­sored by the Cen­tral Pres­by­te­ri­an Church of Hous­ton, Texas.

Music: Beach Spring, from the Sac­red Harp, by Ben­ja­min F. White, 1844 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Benjamin F. White
1800–1879

Lyrics

O, Cre­at­or of the cos­mos,
We pre­sent our hearts in pray­er.
We are awe­struck by your glo­ry,
Which sur­rounds us ev­ery­where.
From the bird­song of the morn­ing
To a stor­my sky at night,
You re­veal your­self in Na­ture,
In its gen­tle­ness and might.

Through each rain­bow that you send us
You re­new your co­ve­nant
With the earth and all life on it,
Telling us of your in­tent
That each liv­ing thing should flour­ish,
In its own way, in its place.
You call us to new aware­ness
Of our neigh­bors and their space.

In our ea­ger­ness to pros­per,
We have rav­aged what was good.
Using more than what was need­ed,
Taking ev­ery­thing we could.
We have changed the gen­tle or­der
You in­tend­ed for the earth.
Now we humb­ly ask the wis­dom
To be part of its re-birth.

We seek mer­cy, we seek vi­sion,
And the cour­age we will need
As we work to help the vic­tims
Of the sins of hu­man greed.
By our choices, in our ac­tions,
May we be part of your plans.
Help us gent­ly till the Gar­den
You’ve en­trust­ed to our hands.

Finding strength in com­mon pur­pose,
May Your faith­ful people be
Voices for a new per­spective,
Leaders in simp­li­ci­ty.
Give us guid­ance, O, Cre­at­or.
Give us pow­er to achieve
True com­pas­sion for Cre­ation
As the le­ga­cy we leave.