Before I emigrated to the USA, I was always told about the amazing autumnal colours in this area. But I always seemed to miss them. The bright hues of reds, oranges and yellows transpired when I had arrived back in the UK.
This year I have not missed them. It has been a spectacular year for the fall foliage. As my dog, Steve and I walk slowly about the neighbourhood, I capture the views on my camera. This past Saturday, we were a bit late for our morning constitutional and had the added delight of the sunrise. Walking down Wydown, the leaves on the trees seemed to be ablaze in the early morning sun. Then, as I looked down the road, I noticed in the distance there was rolling fog obscuring part of Forest Park. It was beautiful.
The words of the hymn For the Beauty of The Earth came to my mind. Steve must have thought I was a bit strange as I started to hum the tune.
The words I know have the refrain “Christ, our God, to Thee we raise, This, our sacrifice of praise.” The hymn was written as a Eucharistic hymn, hence this refrain. Over time the refrain has been changed to “Christ our God, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise,” making it a more general hymn of Thanksgiving.
Whichever version is sung, the beauty of God’s creation is honoured and praise is given with great thanks. The words remind us of God’s providence in our lives even in the midst of this year of constant disruptions.
One disruption is that we are not able to sing together; we will someday. When that day comes, it will be glorious. But in the meantime, we are together praising God in different ways as we respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in serving one another and the wider community. Witnessing this and hearing about this causes my heart to sing. Thank you for all that you are doing.
God bless
Tom+
