Hymns by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

God Made the Heavens and the Earth

THE SOLID ROCK (8.8.8.8 with Refrain) ("My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less")

God made the heavens and the earth.
God's Spirit moved; they came to be.
For when God spoke, there was the light,
And solid ground, and rolling sea.

Refrain:
      Lord, all your world's a precious gift.
      You give dominion! Help us share
      In your creation's loving care.

God saw the earth was very good.
God spoke, and life came bursting forth:
The bright green grass, the shaded wood,
And wondrous creatures 'round the earth.

Refrain

And soon it was, God spoke again:
In God's good image we were made,
To fill the earth, and tenderly
To tend the land, and love, and pray.

Refrain

When I look up and see the stars,
Creation shouts your praise anew.
I humbly ask, "Lord, who am I?"
Yet, we are called to work with you.

Refrain

Biblical References: Genesis 1; Psalms 8
Tune: William Batchelder Bradbury, 1863 ("My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less")
Text: Copyright © 1998 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Copied from Gifts of Love: New Hymns for Today's Worship by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Geneva Press, 2000).
Email: bcgillette@comcast.net New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com/

Hymn Use Permission: Gifts of Love: New Hymns for Today's Worship by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Geneva Press, 2000) includes a permission note for those who own this book to use this hymn (along with the 44 other new hymns in the book) in their local church's worship services. People who do not own Gifts of Love 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.

Earth Care resources

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").
Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril by Kathleen Dean Moore and Michael P. Nelson brings together the writings of over 80 faith leaders, gifted writers, scientists, government leaders, business leaders, naturists and activists to make the moral arguments for working to stop Climate Change. The hope is that a moral consensus, along with the scientific consensus, will inspire people to needed action. After a foreword by Desmond Tutu, the book's inspiring writings are organized in different sections for why we need to morally respond to Climate Change:
1. For the survival of humankind
2. For the sake of the children
3. For the sake of the Earth itself
4. For the sake of all forms of life on the planet
5. To honor our duties of gratitude and reciprocity
6. For the full expression of human virtue
7. Because all flourishing is mutual
8. The stewardship of God's creation
9. Because compassion requires it
10. Because justice demands it
11. Because the world is beautiful
12. Because we love the world
13. To honor the Earth and Earth systems
14. Because our moral integrity requires us to do what is right

Other creation care hymns can be found on the Earth Care and Stewardship pages.

Contact: bcgillette@comcast.net
http://www.carolynshymns.com/god_made_the_heavens_and_the_earth.html

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