Blowin' in the Wind: A Prayer for Earth Day -- April 22, 2013

(Blowin’ in the Wind is a regular feature on my blog consisting of an assortment of nature writings – hymns, songs, prayers, scriptures, poems or other things – pieces I may not have written but that inspire me. I trust they will do the same for you.)

With ongoing prayer also for those impacted this week by the tragedies in Boston and Texas, we proceed. Let us pray.

For the beauty of the earth,

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which, from our birth,

Over and around us lies:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This, our hymn of grateful praise!

For the wonder of each hour,

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale and tree and flower,

Sun and moon and stars of night:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This, our hymn of grateful praise!

For the joy of ear and eye,

For the heart and mind’s delight,

For the mystic harmony

Linking sense to sound and sight:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This, our hymn of grateful praise!

For the joy of human love –

Brother, sister, parent, child –

Friends on earth and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This, our hymn of grateful praise!

For Thy church that evermore

Lifteth holy hands above,

Offering up on every shore

Her pure sacrifice of love:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This, our hymn of grateful praise!

For Thyself, best Gift divine

To our race so freely giv’n,

For that great, great love of Thine,

Peace on earth and joy in heaven:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This, our hymn of grateful praise!

These are lyrics, of course, to the old hymn For the Beauty of the Earth. First published in a book of poetry by Englishman F.S. Pierpoint in 1864, this hymn has always been one of my favorites because it was the first hymn I ever learned.

I was about seven years old. On a spring Saturday morning, my Mom had taken my older brothers and me to our church, Grace Covenant in Chicago; they were there to practice in a children’s choir made up of 4^th-6^th graders. I was in 2^nd grade perhaps, there because I needed to be dragged along and not left home alone! Solitarily waiting in a pew in the vacant sanctuary, I listened to the kids in the choir loft singing from the old, green Covenant Hymnal. The song was being taught by rote by Janice, their ‘Trailblazers’ leader, and I began singing it with them from my seat. After a while Janice turned around to me and said, “Ricky, do you want to come up and sing with us?” It was a rich moment, the big kids glaring at me as I climbed up onto the chancel and into the loft, a place I had never been before. I sang the next day with them in church, proud as a peacock and the youngest kid in the choir by far.

“Ricky, do you want

to come up and sing

with us?”

In looking online for a recording to include here, I found a lovely and increasingly popular rendition set to a different hymn tune than the traditional tune named “Dix,” one by contemporary British composer John Rutter and often sung by boys’ or children’s choirs. Hit this link to hear it and to enjoy the accompanying photos. If you’re also interested in the traditional tune, here’s another good link, also accompanied with photography. Lastly, here is one more tune, of which I am not familiar, nicely sung by some kind of youth choir at Fourth Pres in Chicago. The prayer is worth praying multiple times, and, if you listen to all three, prepare to be blessed!

Finally, to this wonderful prayer for Earth Day I would add:

…And, Lord, let Your church, in ‘lifting holy hands above,’ not neglect to also put their hands, heads and hearts toward faithful and eager stewardship of Your creation, in all times, in all places, for Jesus’ sake, for Your creation’s sake, and for the sake of all You love, amen.

~~RGM, April 18, 2013 

(photography by Rick and Gail Mylander)