A Slovenian Forest in Spring

Image Source = Mihael Simonic

(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spring_forest,_near_Planinsko_polje.jpg)

Hymn Source = The Church School Hymnal for Youth (1928), of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

Words by Arthur Christopher Benson (1862-1925), British academic, poet, and author

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1.  The spring again is here;

Life wakes from winter’s gloom;

In field and forest far and near

Sweet opening flowerets bloom.

2.  O mystery strange and sweet!

That life so dumbly bound

Should rise, our thankful gaze to greet,

And break from underground.

3.  The morn is fresh and bright,

The slow dark hours depart;

Let days unstained and pure delight

Bring sunshine to the heart.

4.  Lord, touch our careless eyes;

New life, new ardors bring,

That we may read Thy mysteries,

The wonder of Thy spring.

Cherry Blossoms, Washington, D.C.

Image Source = Wikipedia

Hymn Source = The Church School Hymnal for Youth (1928), of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

Words by William Howse Groser (1834-1925), British Congregationalist businessman, poet, author, Christian educator, and amateur scientist

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1.  A song of spring once more more we sing

As winter flies away,

And changeful hours sun and showers

To weave a crown for May:

With heart and voice we all rejoice

On this returning day.

With heart and voice we all rejoice

On this returning day.

2.  For once again the promise strain

Floats down from days of yore,

That fruits of earth shall wake to birth,

To bless the toiler’s store:

Each annual round with bounties crowned

Till time shall be no more.

Each annual round with bounties crowned

Till time shall be no more.

3.  Thee, Lord, we praise for springtide days,

And life’s yet fairer spring;

These golden hours, these opening powers,

To Thy glad service bring:

Thine own to be, from sin set free–

Our Father, Saviour, King!

Thine own to be, from sin set free–

Our Father, Saviour, King!

4.  Though foes may throng, Lord, make us strong–

A firm, unfaltering band–

The good to seek, the truth to speak,

And for the right to stand;

Till, duty done, and victory won,

We gain the Better Land.

Till, duty done, and victory won,

We gain the Better Land.

Sunrise Over Asia (September 14, 2008)

Image Source = NASA

Hymn Source = The Church School Hymnal for Youth (1928), of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

Words by the Reverend Samuel Longellow (1819-1892), U.S. Unitarian minister and poet, 1864

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1.  God of the earth, the sky, the sea!

Maker of all above, below!

Creation lives and moves in Thee,

Thy present life through all doth flow.

We give Thee thanks, Thy Name we sing,

Almighty Father, heavenly King.

2.  Thy love is in the sunshine’s glow,

Thy life is in the quickening air;

When lightnings flash and storm winds blow,

There is Thy power; Thy law is there.

We give Thee thanks, Thy Name we sing,

Almighty Father, heavenly King.

3.  We feel Thy calm at evening’s hour,

Thy grandeur in the march of night;

And, when Thy morning breaks in power,

We hear Thy word, “Let there be light.”

We give Thee thanks, Thy Name we sing,

Almighty Father, heavenly King.

Sunset on Mars

Image Source:  NASA

Hymn Source = The Hymnal for Youth (1941), of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

Words by the Reverend Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858-1901), U.S. Presbyterian minister, humanitarian, and admirer of nature

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1.  When the great sun sinks to his rest,

His golden glories thrilling me,

And voiceless longings stir my breast,

Then teach me, Lord, to worship Thee.

2.  And when the stars the daylight fled–

In serried, shining ranks I see,

Filling the splendid vault o’erhead,

Then teach me, Lord, to worship Thee.

3.  Or if in solemn forest shades

The calm of nature steals o’er me,

And silence all my soul pervades,

Then teach me, Lord, to worship Thee.

4.  Not in the sacred shrines alone,

Which chime their summons unto me,

Would I look upward to Thy throne,

But everywhere would worship Thee.

Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois

Source = Dustin M. Ramsey, 2001

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Morton_Arboretum_woodland.jpg)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal (1933), of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

Words by the Reverend Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858-1901), U.S. Presbyterian minister, humanitarian, and admirer of nature

A link to my post about him, with all the verses:

http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/feast-of-maltbie-davenport-babcock-may-18/

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1.  This is my Father’s world,

And to my listening ears,

All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father’s world:

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

His hand the wonders wrought.

2.  This is my Father’s world,

The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white,

Declare their Maker’s praise.

This is my Father’s world:

He shines in all that’s fair;

In the rustling grass

I hear him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.

3.  This is my Father’s world,

O let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world:

The battle is not done;

Jesus who died shall be satisfied,

And earth and heaven be one.

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/proper-29-year-c/

Spring Flowers

Image Source = Phier

Hymn Source = The Hymnal for Youth (1941), Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

Original Latin words from Piae Cantiones, 1582

English translation from The Oxford Book of Carols, 1928

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1.  Spring has now unwrapped the flowers,

Day is fast reviving,

Life in all her growing powers

Toward the light is striving:

Gone the iron touch of cold,

Winter time and frost time,

Seedlings, working through the mold,

Now make up for lost time.

2.  Herb and plant that, winter long,

Slumbered at their leisure,

Now bestirring, green and strong,

Find in growth their pleasure:

All the world with beauty fills,

Gold the green enhancing;

Flowers make glee among the hills,

Set the meadows dancing.

3.  Earth puts on her dress of glee;

Flowers and grasses hide her;

We go forth in charity–

Brothers all beside her;

For, as man this glory sees

In th’awakening season,

Reason learns the heart’s decrees,

Hearts are led by reason.

4.  Through each wonder of fair days

God Himself expresses;

Beauty follows all His ways,

As the world He blesses:

So, as He renews the earth,

Artist without rival,

In His grace of glad new birth

We must seek revival.

Sandstone Arch, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Image Source = Vic Brincat

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), of the United Lutheran Church in America

Words by John Keble (1792-1866), Anglican priest and poet of the Oxford Movement

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1.  There is a book who runs may read,

Which heavenly truth imparts;

And all the lore its scholars need,

Pure eyes and Christian hearts.

2.  The works of God, above, below,

Within us and around,

Are pages in that book, to show

How God Himself is found.

3.  The glorious sky, embracing all,

Is like the Maker’s love,

Wherewith encompassed, great and small

In peace and order move.

4.  The moon above, the Church below,

A wondrous race they run;

But all their radiance, all their glow,

Each borrows from its sun.

5.  The raging fire, the roaring wind,

Thy boundless power display;

But in the gentler breeze we find

Thy Spirit’s viewless way.

6.  Two worlds are ours; ’tis only sin

Forbids us to descry

The mystic heaven and earth within,

Plain as the sea and sky.

7.  Thou, who has given me eyes to see

And love this sight so fair,

Give me a heart to find out Thee,

And read Thee everywhere.

Appalachian Mountains in Yancey County, North Carolina, U.S.A.

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), of the United Lutheran Church in America

Words by Thomas Paxton, about whom I can find no information

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1.  God of the glorious sunshine,

God of refreshing rain,

Whose voice bids earth awaken

And clothe itself again.

With life of richest beauty

In plant, in flower and tree:

Thou God of light and splendor,

We rise and worship Thee.

2.  God of the hill and mountain,

Of valley and of dale,

Whose finger paints the rainbows;

Thy beauties never fail

To raise our souls in wonder,

And turn our thoughts to Thee;

Thou God of living nature

We stand and worship Thee.

3.  God of the busy daytime,

God of the quiet night,

Whose peace pervades the darkness

And greets us with the light,

Safe with Thy presence near us,

Whatever we may be,

Thou God, our great Protector,

We love and worship Thee.

4.  God of the whole creation,

God of all life below,

We seek Thy nearer presence,

Thy grander life to know;

When we, Thy heightened splendor,

Thy greater glories see,

Thou God of all creation,

We still shall worship Thee.

A Meadow in the Swiss Alps

Image Source = Wikipedia

Hymn Source = The Parish School Hymnal (1926), of the United Lutheran Church in America

Words by Frances Jane Douglass (born 1829) in 1848; revised by her brother, William Walsham How (1823-1897), Anglican Bishop of Wakefield England, in 1871 for Church Hymns

This is a Spring hymn.

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1.  For all Thy love and goodness,

so bountiful and free,

Thy Name, Lord, be adored!

On the wings of joyous praise

our hearts soar up to Thee:

Glory to the Lord!

2.  The springtime breaks all round about,

waking from winter’s night:

Thy Name, Lord, be adored!

The sunshine, like God’s love,

pours down in floods of golden light:

Glory to the Lord!

3.  A voice of joy is in all the earth,

a voice is in all the air:

Thy Name, Lord, be adored!

All nature singeth aloud to God;

there is gladness ev’rywhere:

Glory to the Lord!

4.  The flowers are strewn in field and copse,

on the hill and on the plain:

Thy Name, Lord, be adored!

The soft air stirs in the tender leaves

that clothe the trees again:

Glory to the Lord!

5.  The works of Thy hands are very fair:

and for Thy bounteous love,

Thy Name, Lord, be adored!

But what, if this world is so fair,

is the better land above?

Glory to the Lord!

6.  O to awake from death’s short sleep,

like flowers from their wintry grave!

Thy Name, Lord, be adored!

And to rise all glorious in the day

when Christ shall come to save!

Glory to the Lord!

7.  O to dwell in that happy land,

where the heart cannot choose but sing!

Thy Name, Lord, be adored!

And where the life of the blessed ones

is a beautiful endless spring!

Glory to the Lord!

Alleluia!

Christ Pantocrator

Image Source = Wikipedia

Prayer Source = James G. Kirk, When We Gather:  A Book of Prayers for Worship, Year C (Philadelphia, PA:  Geneva Press, 1985)

Corresponds to Proper 29

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/proper-29-year-c/

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/proper-29-year-b/

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/proper-29-year-a/

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O Christ, in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells, we offer ourselves to your service.  Let time be blessed by your presence; let skills enrich the life of humankind.  Receive what we bring as offerings to you.  Make use of them and of us, for the sake of your holy gospel.