Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Praise the Spirit in creation

We sang this hymn this morning at our community Eucharist (Wednesdays are our "Sundays" here at the seminary). It's a truly beautiful hymn, #507 in The Hymnal 1982 (the official Episcopal hymnal).

Praise the Spirit in creation
Breath of God, life's origin
Spirit moving on the waters,
Quickening worlds to life within
Source of breath to all things breathing
Life in whom all lives begin

Praise the Spirit, close companion
Of our inmost thoughts and ways
Who, in showing us God's wonders,
Is himself the power to gaze
And God's will, to those who listen,
By a still, small voice conveys.

Praise the Spirit, who enlightened
Priests and prophets with the word;
His the truth behind the wisdoms
Which as yet know not our Lord
By whose love and power in Jesus
God himself was seen and heard.

These are just the first three stanzas (not "verses" -- as I'm learning in my "Singing the Word" class, hymns have stanzas, not verses, because they are poems) -- I loved the opening stanza and also the third one that acknowledges that even the "wisdoms which as yet know not our Lord" are inspired by the Spirit.

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