Hymns by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
Creator God, you made the earth,
A gift beyond comparing!
You called it good, you gave it worth,
You placed it in our caring.
You gave your gift of Sabbath rest,
Your pattern for creation.
You give us times to heal, to bless,
To join in celebration.
You give us Christ, who reconciled
The things of earth and heaven.
In him, you call each one your child!
What wondrous love you've given!
Because we've turned away from you,
Your world still needs your healing.
Creation longs to be made new
Through Christ, your love revealing.
God, by your Spirit, may we be
Communities of caring,
That as we're healed, your world may see
The hope that we are sharing.
Hymn Use Permission: Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Upper Room Books, 2009) includes a permission note for those who own this book to use this hymn (along with the 76 other new hymns in the book) in their local church's worship services. People who do not own Songs of Grace are asked to contact Carolyn (bcgillette@comcast.net) for permission to use the hymn and to get a copy of the hymn formatted for worship bulletin use.
You can read more about Carolyn Winfrey Gillette's creation care work in her articles "Shrinking Bills, Growing Membership" (PDF file) (Horizons magazine, November/December 2009), "A Journey Towards a Green Church" (PDF file) by Carolyn and Bruce Gillette in Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching and the Arts (May 2009) Environment and Worship issue, and the solar web page for Limestone Presbyterian Church.
The Green Bible (HarperCollins, 2008) is for those who care about creation (for more details about this Bible and praise for it, see Carolyn's article, "A Journey Towards a Green Church").
Other creation care hymns can be found on the Earth Care and Stewardship pages.
- Check out the rest of this web site for other wonderful hymns.
- Consider buying Carolyn's two books of hymns that give permission to use the book's hymns in a local church: Gifts of Love: New Hymns for Today's Worship by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Geneva Press, 2000) and Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Upper Room Books, 2009)
- Share the hymn and her hymns web site with people in your church and other online friends in other churches.
- Check out A Dozen Ways to Support Carolyn's Hymn-writing (including hymn use permission).