"A Song of Peace" ELW 887
"A Hymn of Peace" by Lloyd Stone (1912-1992/3, [Stanzas 1-2] and Georgia Harkness [Stanzas 3, 4, &5]
1. This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
2. My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.
3. This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a prayer that peace transcends in every place;
and yet I pray for my beloved country --
the reassurance of continued grace:
Lord, help us find our one-ness in the Savior,
in spite of differences of age and race.
4. May truth and freedom come to every nation;
may peace abound where strife has raged so long;
that each may seek to love and build together,
a world united, righting every wrong;
a world united in its love for freedom,
proclaiming peace together in one song.
5. This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth's kingdoms,
thy kingdom come, on earth, thy will be done;
let Christ be lifted up 'til all shall serve him,
and hearts united, learn to live as one:
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations,
myself I give thee -- let thy will be done.
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"Peace, Peace, Peace" by Ken Bible
1. Peace, peace, peace -
The gift of Christ is peace.
We walk with God, our past forgiven.
All in Him is life and heaven.
Peace, peace, peace -
The gift of Christ is peace.
2. Hope, hope, hope -
The light of Christ is hope.
In all our darkness Christ is shining,
Leading upward, faith refining.
Hope, hope, hope -
The light of Christ is hope.
3. Love, love, love -
The heart of Christ is love.
On all who come He pours His presence,
Life and love in holy essence.
Love, love, love -
The heart of Christ is love.
4. Joy, joy, joy -
We praise You, Christ, with joy!
Our peace, our hope, our love and treasure,
Highest calling, deepest pleasure!
Joy, joy, joy -
We praise You, Christ, with joy!
The text for today's hymn cannot be published due to copyright limitations. We apologize for the inconvenience.
This hymn is set to the melody "Finlandia" by Jean Sebelius. It is one of my favorite pieces of music. Simple, moving and poignant, it supports and amplifies these words in ways that touch my soul. I grew up in a different country--called Minnesota--and moved to Petaluma, Calif., almost 40 years ago. So this has been my adopted home for a long time; I have loved living here and can't imagine moving back to the Midwest. Yet there are so many people "back home," including my mother, who couldn't imagine living anywhere else. When I visit I can appreciate the beauty of the lakes and prairies, the big yards and the summer greenness. I don't have to put them down or think of California as superior. It's not a competition. It is simply the love of home.
I love this hymn because it celebrates that love of home. As Americans we all too often feel we are superior to others, that our country holds a higher place in the family of nations, and that therefore we should be given more power, authority and respect. In this political year this attitude certainly plays out at times in ways that are ugly and disturbing. It might be helpful to start every political rally with this hymn--to soften the rhetoric and discounting of those of other places. Let the words and music melt the hardness of our hearts and remove language that would distort the sovereignty and love of God equally for all people.
O God of all the nations, give us your vision of your creation and open our hearts and souls to include all people, all races, all countries in the embrace of our love and your gracious generosity. Amen.
Tim Kellgren
Retired, Elim Lutheran Church, Petaluma, Calif.
Master of Divinity, 1971
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