Above:  The Golden Rule, by Norman Rockwell

Image in the Public Domain

Text Source = Albert F. Bayly (1901-1984)

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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Thy love, O God, has all mankind created,

and led thy people to this present hour;

in Christ we see life’s glory consumated;

thy Spirit manifests his living power.

+++++

We bring thee, Lord, in fervent intercession

the children of thy world-wide family:

with contrite hearts we offer our confession,

for we have sinned against thy charity.

+++++

From out the darkness of our hope’s frustration,

from all the broken idols of our pride,

we turn to seek thy truth’s illumination,

and find thy mercy waiting at our side.

+++++

In pity look upon thy children’s striving

for life and freedom, peace and brotherhood,

till at the fullness of thy truth arriving,

we find in Christ the crown of every good.

+++++

Inspire thy church, mid earth’s discordant voices,

to preach the gospel of her Lord above,

until the day this warring world rejoices

to hear the mighty harmonies of love.

Above:  Ursa Major

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Albert H. Bayly (1901-1984)

Text Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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O Lord of every shining constellation

that wheels in splendour through the midnight sky:

grant us thy Spirit’s true illumination

to read the secrets of thy work on high.

+++++

And thou who mad’st the atom’s hidden forces,

whose laws its mighty energies fulfil:

teach us, to whom thou giv’st such rich resources,

in all we use, to serve thy holy will.

+++++

O Life, awaking life in cell and tissue,

from flower to bud, from beast to brain of man:

O help us trace, from birth to final issue,

the sure unfolding of thine ageless plan.

+++++

Thou who hast stamped thine image on thy creatures,

and though they marred that image, lov’st them still:

uplift our eyes to Christ, that in his features

we may discern the beauty of thy will.

+++++

Great Lord of nature, shaping and renewing,

who mad’st us more than nature’s sons to be:

help us to tread, thy grace our souls enduing,

the road to life and immortality.

Above:  Earthrise, Apollo 8 (1968)

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Albert F. Bayly (1901-1984)

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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Lord, save thy world:  in bitter need

thy children lift their cry to thee;

we wait thy liberating deed

to signal hope and set us free.

+++++

Lord, save thy world:  our souls are bound

in iron chains of fear and pride;

high walls of ignorance around

our faces from each other hide.

+++++

Lord, save thy world:  we strive in vain

to save ourselves without thine aid;

what skill and science slowly gain

is soon to evil ends betrayed.

+++++

Lord, save thy world:  but thou hast sent

the Saviour whom we sorely need;

for us his tears and blood were spent,

that from our bonds we might be freed.

+++++

Then save us now, by Jesus’ power,

and use the lives thy love sets free

to bring at last the glorious hour

when all men find thy liberty.

Above:  An Offering Plate

Image Source = ForestWander

Text by Albert F. Bayly (1901-1984)

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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Lord of all good, our gifts we bring to thee,

use them thy holy purpose to fulfil,

tokens of love and pledges they shall be

that our whole life is offered to thy will.

+++++

We give our mind to understand thy ways,

hands, eyes, and voice to serve thy great design;

heart with the flame of thine own love ablaze,

till for thy glory all our powers combine.

+++++

Father, whose bounty all creation shows,

Christ, by whose willing sacrifice we live,

Spirit, from whom all life in fullness flows,

to thee with grateful hearts ourselves we give.

Above:  Pentecost Dove

Image Scanned from a Bulletin, St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia

Text by Albert F. Bayly (1901-1984)

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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Fire of God, thou sacred flame,

Spirit who in splendour came,

let thy heat my soul refine,

till it glows with love divine.

+++++

Breath of God, that swept in power

in the pentecostal hour,

holy breath, be thou in me

source of vital energy.

+++++

Strength of God, thy might within

conquers sorrow, pain and sin:

fortify from evil’s art

all the gateways of my heart.

+++++

Truth of God, thy piercing rays

penetrate my secret ways.

May the light that shames my sin

guide me holier paths to win.

+++++

Love of God, thy grace profound

knoweth neither age nor bound:

come, my heart’s own guest to be,

dwell for evermore in me.

Above:  Icon of the Holy Trinity, by Andrei Rublev

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Robert Belgarnie Young (R. B. Y.) Scott (1899-1987)

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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Sing ye praises to the Father,

sing ye praises to the Son,

sing ye praises to the Spirit,

living and eternal One.

God has made us, God has blessed us,

God has called us to be true;

he is Lord of all creation,

daily making all things new.

+++++

Join the praise of every creature,

sing with singing birds at dawn;

when the stars shine forth at nightfall,

hear their heavenly antiphon.

Praise him for the light of summer,

autumn glories, winter snows,

for the coming of the springtime

and the life of all that glows.

+++++

Praise God on our days of gladness

for his summons to rejoice,

praise him in our times of sadness

for the comfort of his voice.

God our Father, strong and loving,

Christ our Saviour, Leader, Lord,

living God, Creator Spirit–

by thy holy name adored!

Above:  Apotheosis of War, by Vasily Vereshchagin

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The Hymnbook of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

Text (1937, 1939) by Robert Balgarnie Young (R. B. Y.) Scott (1899-1987)

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O day of God, draw nigh

in beauty and in power;

come with thy timeless judgement

now to match our present hour.

+++++

Bring to our troubled minds,

uncertain and afraid,

the quiet of a steadfast faith,

calm of a call obeyed.

+++++

Bring justice to our land,

that all may dwell secure,

and finely build for days to come

foundations that endure.

+++++

Bring to our world of strife

thy sovereign word of peace,

that war may haunt the earth no more

and desolation cease.

+++++

O day of God, draw nigh,

as at creation’s birth;

let there be light again, and set

thy judgements in the earth.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Above:  Sunset, Athens, Georgia, June 16, 2018

Photographer = Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

Text (1938) by Robert Balgarnie Young (R. B. Y.) Scott (1899-1987)

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Eternal, Unchanging, we sing to thy praise:

thy mercies are endless, and righteous thy ways;

thy servants proclaim the renown of thy name

who rulest omnipotent, ever the same.

+++++

Again we rejoice in the world thou hast made,

thy mighty creation in beauty arrayed,

we thank thee for live, and we praise thee for joy,

for love and for hope that no power can destroy.

+++++

We praise thee for Jesus, our Master and Lord,

the might of his Spirit, the truth of his word,

his comfort in sorrow, his patience in pain,

the faith sure and steadfast that Jesus shall reign.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Above:  A Crucifix

Photograph by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Text by Timothy Rees (1874-1939)

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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O crucified Redeemer, whose lifeblood we have spilt,

to you we raise our guilty hands, and humbly own our guilt.

Today we see your passion spread open to our gaze;

the crowded town, the country road, its calvary displays.

+++++

Wherever love is outraged, wherever hope is killed,

where man still wrongs his brother man, your passion is fulfilled.

We see your tortured body, we see the wounds that bleed,

where brotherhood hands crucified, nailed to the cross of greed.

+++++

We hear your cry of anguish, we see your life outpoured,

where battlefield runs red with blood, our brothers’ blood, O Lord.

And in that bloodless battle, the fight for daily bread,

where might is right and self is king, we see your thorn-crowned head.

+++++

The groaning of creation rung out by pain and care,

the anguish of a million hearts that break in dumb despair:

O crucified Redeemer, these are your cries of pain.

O may they break our selfish hearts, and love come in to reign.

Above:  Daisy

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Maria Matilda Penstone (1859-1910)

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

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1.  Praise to God for things we see,

the growing flower, the waving tree,

Our mother’s face, the bright blue sky

where birds and clouds go floating by;

praise to God for seeing.

2.  Praise to God for things we hear,

for sounds of friends who laugh and cheer,

the merry bells, the song of birds,

for stories, tunes, and kindly words;

praise to God for hearing.