Habel Hymns
Volume Three
Songs in Support of
the
Eco-Reformation in 2017
Ongoing Earth-Care
Norman C. Habel, 2016
Habel Hymns 3
Songs in Support of
the
Eco-Reformation
On-going Earth-Care
Norman Habel
c. 2016
My frame was not hidden from you
When I was being made in secret,
Intricately woven in the depths of Earth,
My Mother’s womb. Ps. 139.15
Preface
To
Mother Earth
my mother
who gave birth to me
after millions of years
of labour
nurturing a long line
of Earth beings
my ancestors
in an amazing process
we now call
evolution.
How can I ever thank
my mother
for her sustenance
the air I breathe
and
the plants I consume.
Even more
I now realize
that she has made me aware
of the sacred in nature
of God’s presence
dwelling in her midst
making her a sanctuary
a sacred site
in the cosmos.
When I listen
to my Mother
I know who I am:
an Earth child
blessed to be.
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Hymns
- A Mighty Wonder is the Earth
- A Rainbow Hymn
- A Covenant with Earth
- Baby Earth
- I am a Piece of Dust
- I’m an Earth Being
- Just as I am
- The Birth of Earth
- Wise up, Wise up, You Christians
- Sing with the Sun
- Long before the Whites Ones Came
- Welcome to Country
- Celebrating Evolution
- Praise the God of Evolution
- Cosmic Consciousness
- Cosmic Wisdom
- Black Saturday
- Mother Earth, Our Mother Birthing
- Can You Hear the Singing Silence
- Now Thank We All
PLEASE NOTE: All of these songs are written to known melodies and so no music is provided. These texts are released for immediate use by anyone interested, whether in association with the Eco-Reformation, the Season of Creation or occasions for celebration with creation.
Introduction
Songs for the Eco-Reformation
The songs in this collection are collected to support the 2017 Eco-Reformation.
In this collection I focus on the eco of this reformation, emphasising that theekos is the home we inhabit, namely planet Earth. In the context of the current environmental crisis, we are faced with the need to reform our thinking, our education and our life-style about how we relate to Earth.
These songsfocus on a range of themes connected with Earth:
- The origins of Earth
- The place of Earth in the cosmos
- Earth as a world of mysteries
- Earth as permeated with God’s presence
- Earth as a sanctuary and sacred
- Earth as the mother of living creatures
- Our kinship with all living creatures
- The cries and compassion of Mother Earth
- Our mission to care for Earth, our Mother
- Past custodians of country
Additional songs that could be used in association with the Eco-reformation are found in my earlier work, Habel Hymns Volume One: Songs to Celebrate with Creation. Relevant worship materials and songs can also be downloaded from the Season of Creation website:
Perhaps the radical change in orientation that an eco-reformation implies can be illustrated by the images found in the opening lines of a well-known hymn:
Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah
Pilgrim through this barren land.
The time has come to reform the belief that Earth is a ‘barren land’ and that we humans are but pilgrims on the way to heaven. Earth is our home, our mother and a sanctuary filled with the mysterious presence of our Creator.
- A Mighty Wonder is the Earth
This song employs the melody of the famous reformation hymn, A MightyFortress is our God, but focuses on Earth as a wondrous sacred place and on the urgent need for Earth’s children to be involved in an eco-reformation. The message that Earth is a sacred place filled with God’s presence in grounded in the vision of Isaiah that ‘the whole Earth is filled with Thy Presence’ (Isa. 6.3).
- A Rainbow Hymn
In this song we recall seven mysteries in nature that correspond to the seven colours of the rainbow. After each mystery, we promise to care for Earth, a home filled with mystery. These promises are appropriate for our involvement in an eco-reformation. The melody chosen is Morning Has Broken. An exploration of these mysteries in nature is found in my book, Rainbow of Mysteries: Meeting the Sacred in Nature (Woodlake, 2012).
- A Covenant with Earth
This song is a call from Mother Earth not only to hear her cries of agony because of human destruction, but also to recognise that God became a ‘piece of Earth’ in Jesus Christ and that we should make a covenant with Earth to rejuvenate our planet. The melody chosen is The Lord’s My Shepherd.
- Baby Earth
In this song were-live the cosmic story of the origin of Earth commencing with an impulse before the Big Bang that stirred the birth of a planet that we now call Earth, or in this song, Baby Earth. The melody chosen is The Lord’s My Shepherd.
- I am a Piece of Dust
In this song we hear the voice of Earth relating the story of her identity, a planet that was once but a piece of cosmic dust, but which became a vibrant living domain filled with mysteries and amazing living figures like forests and fairy wrens. The melody chosen is Nearer My God to Thee.
- I’m An Earth Being
In this song I identity who I am, an Earth being, a child of Mother Earth. As an Earth child I am blessed by the moisture flowing from my Mother, by the breezes I breathe to keep me alive and the pulse of my Mother deep in my soul. The melody chosen is Morning Has Broken. The biblical tradition that celebrates our birth deep in the womb of Mother Earth is found in Ps. 139.15.
- Just as I am
This song explores not only my identity as a child of Mother Earth, but also my connection with the cosmos, a reality revealed through the science of ecology and a mystery to be celebrated as a gift of grace. The melody chosen is Just as I am Without one Plea.
- The Birth of Earth
This song is based on an ecological reading of Genesis One in which Earth is a formless embryo in the deep until the third day when God speaks. God does not say, ‘Let there be Earth’ but rather ‘Let the waters part/burst’ so that Earth can appear and be born. Then at God’s word, Earth comes alive with green vegetation. The melody chosen is Silent Night.
- Wise Up, Wise Up, You Christians
In this song, Christians are summoned to be wise like Joseph in ancient Egypt and prepare for the outcome of global warming among human beings who depend on the garden planet for their survival. The melody chosen is Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.
- Sing with the Sun
This song echoes the cry of the Psalmist in Ps 148 when all domains of creation are called upon to praise the Lord. In this song we are encouraged to join all of these domains to celebrate creation and keep our planet clean. The melody chosen is Christ is Alive. An alternate melody is In Christ there is no East or West.
- Long, Long Before the White Ones Came
This song affirms the role and faith of the Aboriginal custodians who cared for country for centuries before the white settlers arrived. They knew how to read the landscape and discern the spiritual long before missionaries brought the Scriptures. An eco-reformation also calls for reconciliation with these custodians of country. The melody chosen is The Doxology.
- Welcome to Country
In this song, Country refers especially to the sacred domain to which each Aboriginal people believes it belongs. Country is now calling all peoples, whether Aborigines or settlers, to hear her story of celebration, suffering and hope. The melody chosen is Morning Has Broken.
- Celebrating Evolution
An eco-reformation summons us to celebrate the impulse of evolution that has created a cosmos filled with mystery and majesty, a cosmos in which our planet is a sacred wonder to be embraced and enjoyed. The melody chosen is The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
- Praise the God of Evolution
Once we begin to resonate with the deep and wondrous impulses of evolution, weare led to appreciate an even deeper impulse behind the whole process, the impulse we call God. This song celebrates that Impulsein, with and under the process of evolution. The melody chosen is Praise, my Soul,the King of Heaven.
- Cosmic Consciousness
Ecology has helped us appreciate not only our inter-connection with all living things and domains on planet Earth, but also the amazing connection we have with entire cosmos. A deep awareness of that connection may be designated cosmic consciousness. The melody chosen is The Lord’s My Shepherd.
- Cosmic Wisdom
A close examination of how the wise, the ancient scientists of the Wisdom School, observed and interpreted creation, reveals an appreciation of Wisdom as a natural force. This force is discerned in three realms: as God’s blueprint for creation (Proverbs 8), as an innate force in the laws of nature (Job 28.23-27) and as a driving force innate in living things (Job 39.26). For a study of this tradition see my volume Discerning Wisdom in Nature: Following the Way of Ancient Scientists (Morning Star Publishing, 2015). The melody chosen is Praise my Soul the King of Heaven.
- Black Saturday
One of the most traumatic days for many Australians was Black Saturday when an overwhelming bushfire destroyed hundreds of homes in the State of Victoria in a way never seen before. Whether global warming contributed to the fire may be debated. The question raised by this song is God’s involvement in that day. The melody chosen is Amazing Grace.
- Mother Earth, our Mother Birthing
This song was already printed in Habel Hymns Volume One, but it has been a standard song for celebrating creation, especially on St Francis of Assisi Day. The song celebrates Mother Earth, Sister Air, Brother Water and Father Fire in a way that consistent with the spirit of an eco-reformation. The melody chosen isPraise my Soul, the King of Heaven.
- Can You Hear the Singing Silence
Those who resonate with the mysteries of Mother Earth may experience the joy of listening to the symphony of nature. This song invites us to listen to the symphony of Earth and to sing along with the music of creation that surrounds us. The melody chosen is Brother, Let me Be Your Servant.
- Now Thank We All
This song is an eco-revision of the traditional hymn Now Thank We All Our God. As such it is designed to raise our awareness of the need to preserve our planet being acutely aware of the harm caused by human greed. The song also reflects the intimate relationship of God with Earth.
1. A Mighty Wonder
C. Norman Habel, 2015
Melody: A Mighty Fortress
A mighty wonder is our Earth,
A planet filled with mystery,
And all across her vibrant face
We read her cosmic history.
How long long ago
A drive from below
Turned one speck from space
Into a sacred place;
This planet has no equal.
God’s presence fills this sacred space,
That nurtures our beginning;
But children of our Mother Earth,
Have revelled in their sinning;
They clear forest land,
With a heavy hand;
Polluting the skies,
With ugly greedy eyes;
Their crimes go on forever.
The time has come for true reform,
By children who are caring:
Replace your love for ruling Earth
With empathetic sharing.
By loving God’s Son,
The wise Wounded One;
By healing the Earth,
Is giving her new birth;
We celebrate our planet.
2. A Rainbow Hymn
C. 2010 Norman Habel
Melody: Morning Has Broken
Red is the fire of God’s holy presence,
Filling with life the planet we share:
Here is our vow to hold the Earth sacred,
Tend it with love and covenant care.
Orange the clay that makes us all mortal,
Filled with God’s breath since humans were born,
Given a mission: treat Earth as partner!
Now we affirm that calling once more.
Yellow, like gold, means all things are precious,
Each with a right to sing and be free.
This is our pledge to hold all that’s living,
Valued as part of Earth’s majesty.
Green pluses flow through veins of creation,
‘Til humans clear great forests in seed.
This is our promise: keep all things growing,
We will reverse our violent greed.
Blue is the song felt deep in the ocean,
Blues are the groaning deep in the sand.
Now with our souls we promise to listen,
Publicly give a voice to the land.
Indigo sounds a signal for danger:
Refugees facing drought and despair;
Here we respond as climates are changing
We will take steps, find ways to prepare.
Violent announces Christ in the cosmos,
Holding our Earth in all of its pain.
Christ now invites us; join in my mission!
Cov’nant with me to heal Earth again.
3. The Covenant with Earth
C. 2011 Norman Habel
Melody: The Lord’s My Shepherd
We hear the call of planet Earth
To come back home and see
The living presence of our God
In soil and sky and sea.
We hear the call of Mother Earth
To feel her cries of pain,
The way pollution chokes her breath
And toxins burn her brain.
We hear the call of Christ again
To celebrate the news
That Christ, the cosmic mystery,
Can heal creation’s blues.
For God became a piece of Earth,
Incarnate in the Son,
To reconcile a broken world
And make creation one.
We hear the call from deep within
To follow God’s own cue
To make a covenant with Earth
And to her soul be true.
And with this covenant we make
A promise bold and free
To heal and care for Mother Earth,
Alive with mystery.
4. Baby Earth
Tune: The Lord’s My Shepherd
C. 2009 Norman Habel
An Impulse deep in time and space
Once yearned for all to be;
A Spirit in this universe
Once set the cosmos free,
That Impulse caused a big big bang,
A cosmic womb gave birth:
An embryo of rocks and gas;
We call her Baby Earth.
Caressed by years of light and time,
The breath of God above,
An energy emerged in Earth:
The sign of life and love.
The Impulse stirring deep within
Helped baby Earth to be,
A vibrant planet filled with song,
A blue-green mystery.
From deep within the veins of Earth
Evolved new living forms,
Giraffe and deer and dinosaur,
Gold fish and baby worms.
Just how amazing is this gift
To live in time and space
And through the smile of Baby Earth
To see God’s cosmic face.
5. I am a Piece of Dust
C. 2013 Norman Habel
Melody: Nearer my God to Thee
I am a piece of dust, flung from the sky,
Yes, I’m your planet Earth, please hear my cry:
Come claim this mystery,
Of who you are,
Children of mother Earth,
Born of a star.
I am a myrtle tree, stately and strong,
Now with my forest friends, I sing this song:
Come taste the mystery
Deeper than birth.
We have evolved to be
Partners on Earth
I am a fairy wren, close to the ground,
Deep from the soil below, I hear this sound:
Come feel the mystery,
Where breezes blow,
We have evolved from earth,
In soil we grow.
.
We are the desert ants, stirring the sand,
Hoping that human minds might understand:
We know a mystery
Hidden within,
Wisdom evolved with us;
We are your kin.
I am the coral reef, live on your coast
Pulsing with crabs and krill, I hear them boast:
Come play with mystery
Here in the sea;
You have evolved from us;
Now you are free.
6. I’m an Earth Being
c. 2010 Norman Habel
Melody: Morning has Broken
Born of this planet, I’m an Earth being,
Born of this planet, I’m an Earth child.
One with all beings, born of this planet,
I’m an Earth being, one with the wild.
Born of this planet, baptised with moisture,
I’m an Earth being, blessed by her rains;
Rising from oceans, flowing through rivers,
Earth’s sacred waters pulse through my veins.
Born of this planet, flowing with breezes,
Children inhale Earth’s infinite breath;
Earth’s holy breathing enters my body,
Creating a presence deeper than death.
Born of this planet, one speck of stardust,
We feel the pulsing deep in our soul,
Myst’ry like music throbs in the landscape,
Earth our true mother, makes our life whole.
7. Just as I am
c. 2012 Norman Habel
Melody: Just as I am without one Plea
Just as I am, by Earth defined,
And born to have a searching mind
And longing in my head to find
The mystery I am, I am!
Just as I am, evolved to be,
A human with a sense to see
A consciousness of mystery,
I wonder who I am, I am!
Just as I am, in my small place,
I’m now aware of cosmic space,
A precious life, a gift of grace
To be just as I am, I am!
Just as I am, connected free
With suns in every galaxy,
With matter dark and gravity,
A cosmic child I am, I am!
Just as I am, I sense once more
An impulse deep within our core,
A force that makes my spirit roar,
A mystery I am, I am!
8. The Birth of Earth
(Based on Genesis 1)
C. Norman Habel
Melody: Silent Night
Silent breath, holy breath,
Floating o’er infant Earth.
Deep in waters dark she lies,
Waiting from the womb to rise,
Waiting for the dawn.
Waiting for the dawn.
Silent word, holy word,
Impulse rising deep in God: