Today’s author is Prince of Peace member, Carol Swanson.
Scott Tunseth drafted the worship introductions for our Creation series. He wrote:
Today we pause in worship to reflect on the abundant ways God blesses us through the creation. We often focus on how we can manage and manipulate creation without taking time to simply appreciate the life-giving abundance and healing power of God’s creation. Food, water, air to breathe, and beauty to behold¾all are wondrous gifts from the Creator who has made it all. For these blessings, we shout, “Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!”
Our Sunday text was from Psalm 104. Here is another creation psalm by Brian Wren, inspired by Psalm 148.
#167
Let all creation dance
in energies sublime,
as order turns with chance,
unfolding space and time,
for nature’s art
in glory grows,
and newly shows
God’s mind and heart.
God’s breath each force unfurls,
igniting from a spark
expanding starry swirls,
with whirlpools dense and dark.
Though moon and sun
seem mindless things,
each orbit sings:
“Your will be done.”
Our own amazing earth,
with sunlight, cloud and storms
and life’s abundant growth
in lovely shapes and forms,
is made for praise,
a fragile whole,
and from its soul
heav’ns music plays.
Lift heart and soul and voice:
in Christ all praises meet
and nature shall rejoice
as all is made complete.
In hope be strong,
all life befriend
and kindly tend
creation’s song.
––1991 copyright Hope Publishing Company
From Piece Together Praise: A Theological Journey by Brian Wren,p 157
Brian Wren dedicated this “To John Darwall, with respect.” He notes that he originally wrote this “to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of John Darwall (1731-1789), Anglican cleric and composer. I am told that Darwall composed tunes for all 150 metrical Psalms. One of them, named ‘DARWALL’S 148TH’ because it was for Psalm 148, has been sung ever since.”