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Caring for God's Creation

• O God, Within the Psalms
  TERRA BEATA 6.6.8.6 D ("This is My Father's World")  (MIDI)
  
• We Have a Common Calling
  AURELIA 7.6.7.6 D ("The Church's One Foundation")  (MIDI)
  
• The Earth is the Lord's
  Genesis 1, 2; Psalms 8, 24
  ST. DENIO 11.11.11.11 ("Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise")  (MIDI)
  Books: Songs of Grace, Sing of the World Made New
  A celebration of God's creation and our call to care for it.
  
• O God, You Give Us Grapes and Grain
  ELLACOMBE 8.6.8.6 D ("I Sing the Mighty Power of God"; "Hail To the Lord's Anointed")  (MIDI)
  
• O God, You Made the Trees
  TERRA BEATA 6.6.8.6 D ("This is My Father's World")  (MIDI)
  A new hymn written for Presbyterians for Earth Care's collection of online articles about trees.
  
• Through Devastating Storms
  LEONI 6.6.8.4 ("The God of Abraham Praise")  (MIDI)
  A new hymn written for the opening worship service on August 1st for the national Presbyterians for Earth Care conference, Creation Care Buffet: Come to the Table.The hymn recognizes the record-breaking heat waves and forest fires in the West and Northwest USA, hurricanes, and massive flooding in Europe and China. It is a prayer that we will love the earth and love each other, and so work for healing and hope.
  
• O God, Creator of All Things
  Genesis 1
  FOREST GREEN 8.6.8.6 D ("All Beautiful the March of Days")  (MIDI)
  A hymn celebrating practical ways to be good stewards of God's creation
  
• God, Creation Sings Your Praises
  Psalm 148; Genesis 1:26-28; John 13:31-35; Revelation 21:1-6
  BEACH SPRING 8.7.8.7 D ("God Whose Giving Knows No Ending")  (MIDI)
  A new hymn written at the request of the United Church of Christ for a Keep It In The Ground event about the extraction and use of fossil fuels.
  
• O God, Your Creatures Fill the Earth
  ELLACOMBE 8.6.8.6 D ("I Sing the Mighty Power of God"; "Hail To the Lord's Anointed")  (MIDI)
  FOREST GREEN 8.6.8.6 D ("All Beautiful the March of Days")  (MIDI)
  A hymn for the care and blessing of animals
  
• Shades of Purple, Shades of Blue
  DIX 7.7.7.7.7.7 ("For the Beauty of the Earth")  (MIDI)
  
• At the Dawn of Your Creation
  Genesis 1
  HYMN TO JOY 8.7.8.7 D ("Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee")  (MIDI)
  A celebration of God's creation and the command to care for it, including through use of solar energy (the original line was "at this solar dedication" which was changed to "at this joyful celebration" to allow for broader use of the hymn)
  
• Creator God, You Made the Earth
  ST. COLUMBA 8.7.8.7 ("The King of Love My Shepherd Is")  (MIDI)
  Book: Songs of Grace
  Keeping Sabbath Time, Relating to Others/Forgiveness and Reconciliation
  
• On the Beach, the Waves of Waters
  Psalms 104, 148
  HYMN TO JOY 8.7.8.7 D ("Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee")  (MIDI)
  Book: Songs of Grace
  This hymn is a celebration of the gifts of God's creation that we see at the beach or the shore.
  
• O God, the Great Wide Seas are Yours
  MELITA 8.8.8.8.8.8 ("Eternal Father, Strong to Save")  (MIDI)
  Creation care; the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
  
• O God, When Your Land
  LYONS 10.10.11.11 ("O Worship the King, All Glorious Above!")  (MIDI)
  A hymn about planting trees, especially in de-forested areas
  
• God Made the Heavens and the Earth
  THE SOLID ROCK 8.8.8.8 with Refrain ("My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less")  (MIDI)
  Book: Gifts of Love
  Creation and Environmental Stewardship
  
• Creator, We Thank You For All You Have Made
  Psalms 95, 104
  ST. DENIO 11.11.11.11 ("Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise")  (MIDI)
  Book: Songs of Grace
  Beauty of creation in every day
  
• God, You Made Your Good Creation
  Genesis 1-2; Psalms 8, 24, 104; Romans 8:19-23; 1 John 3:17; John 3:16; Matthew 6:10; Revelation 21:5
  BEACH SPRING 8.7.8.7 D ("God Whose Giving Knows No Ending")  (MIDI)
  A new hymn for the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation, inspired by Laudato Si' (Praise Be to You): On Care for Our Common Home, 2015 Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis.
  
• O God, We've Prayed in Wind and Rain
  ST. ANNE 8.6.8.6 ("Our God, Our Help in Ages Past")  (MIDI)
  AMAZING GRACE 8.6.8.6 ("Amazing Grace")  (MIDI)
  "O God, We've Prayed in Wind and Rain" was written in response to severe storms —Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana and even more devastating flooding in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, with over 1200 deaths and over 42 million people displaced in the Asian storms.
  
• O God of Life, Your Waters Flow
  SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER 8.8.8.8 D ("Sweet Hour of Prayer")  (MIDI)
  This hymn was written at the time of the Standing Rock protests.
  
• We Were Born Out of the Waters
  Genesis 1-2; John 3:16
  NETTLETON 8.7.8.7 D ("Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing")  (MIDI)
  "We Were Born Out of the Waters" and "O God of Life, Your Waters Flow" celebrate our stewardship of clean water, open space, and other natural resources.
  

 

Creation 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 Toward a Green Church" (257 KB 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.
• O God, You Give Us Grapes and Grain celebrates the Eucharist and God's creation.
• 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 Toward 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

After their son John did careful research, the Gillettes had solar panels installed on their home in December 2007.

 

In July 2008, Limestone Presbyterian Church dedicated their 180 solar panels on the sanctuary roof.

 

• Gifts of Love: New Hymns for Today's Worship by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Geneva Press, 2000)
• Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Upper Room Books, 2009)
• I Sing to My Savior: New Hymns from the Stories in the Gospel of Luke by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2022)
• God's World is Changing: New Hymns for Advent and Christmas by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2022)

• Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (Westminster/John Knox Press, 2013)
• Lift Up Your Hearts: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs (Christian Reformed Church in North America, Reformed Church in America, Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2013)
• Community of Christ Sings (Herald Publishing House, 2013)
• More Voices (United Church of Canada, Westminster/John Knox Press, 2009)
• Singing the New Testament (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and Christian Reformed Church, Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2008)
• Sing the Faith: New Hymns for Presbyterians (Westminster/John Knox Press, 2003)
• Voices Found: Women in the Church's Song (Episcopal Church Publishing, 2003)
• Voices Together (MennoMedia, 2020)
• Worship and Song (Abingdon Press, 2011)
• One in Faith (World Library Publications, a division of J. S. Paluch, 2014)
• Sing of the World Made New: Hymns of Justice, Peace, and Christian Responsibility (Hope Publishing Company and GIA Publications, 2014)
• The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual 2014 (Abingdon Press, 2013)
• The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual 2015 (Abingdon Press, 2014)
• The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual 2016 (Abingdon Press, 2015)
• Catholic Worship Book II (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Morning Star Publishing, 2017)
• To Bless Our Callings: Prayers, Poems, and Hymns to Celebrate Vocation (Wipf and Stock, 2017)