New Songs!
Two Crisis Songs to the tune of Morning has Broken and The Lord is my Shepherd
Earth and all kin – to the tune of Earth and All Stars by Leah Schade
Baby Earth – to the tune of The Lord’s My Shepherd
I am an Earth Being – to the tune of Morning has Broken
Welcome to Country – to the tune of Morning has Broken
The selection of songs and hymns that follow provide another set of resources for celebration with creation. They are written with a sensitivity to both the splendour of creation and the Earth community as our partner in worship. These songs are designed to stir our faith is God as the cosmic power creating our planet, the cosmic impulse groaning with our planet and the cosmic presence healing our planet.
Collection One
The first collection of creation songs included is Habel Hymns Volume One—Songs for Celebrating with Creation [3.4 Mb PDF file]. This collection was prepared for use in The Season of Creation, but includes songs written over many years. One feature of this collection is that many songs are written to known melodies as specified. Musicians are free to write new melodies to these songs if they choose.
Invitation
An invitation is extended to songwriters to submit a collection of creation songs or hymns that are suitable for use in The Season of Creation. We would be delighted to include collections that reflect how diverse cultures connect with creation, the Creator and the cosmic Christ.
Rev Ellie Stock from St. Louis, Missouri has offered a song she wrote to accompany Season of Creation services called Let the Earth Breathe. You can listen to get a rough guide of the melody here or download the lyrics and music.
Pastor David Eck has written a song “Works of your hands” which is based on Psalm 8 and has kindly offered it as part of this collection of resources. You are free to use it with the following copyright details: Copyright ©2014 by David Eck. Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, Fairview, NC. Used by permission.
Copyright
As with other resources on this website, the songs in these collections are made available free for use in any worship context. No permission is needed for their use in worship, whether in church or some other arena.
Where a party wishes to publish one or more of these songs and the accompanying music in a book, they should contact the relevant administrator specified at the beginning of each collection. Habel Hymns Volume One, for example, is administered by Willow Connections – info@willowconnections.com.au
Availability
Where a printed musical version of these collections is available, the distributor is named at the beginning of the collection. So, for example, Habel Hymns Volume 1 is available through Kentigern Resource Centre, PO Box 7878 Baulkham Hills BC, NSW 2153 Australia – mlevine@kentigern.com.au
Themes
The hymns in these collections are intended to extend our worship senses beyond simply praising God as our Creator and thanking God for creation. Major emphases of these hymns and songs include:
- Celebrating the presence of the Creator with creation
- Groaning with creation and the Spirit in creation
- Exploring our interconnection with the worlds of creation
- Embracing the God who, in Christ, joined the web of creation
- Singing songs of praise with our kin in creation
- Linking our spirit with the spiritual in creation
- Rejoicing with the cosmic Christ who fills creation
- Anticipating the healing and renewal of creation
- Linking the Gospel with the rebirth of creation