“All Things Bright and Beautiful”. With a song in my heart; thoughts from our music director, Rick Roberts.
Good “chilly” morning,
Tuesday is a good day to look at the hymn of the week and its author, Cecil Frances Humphries. One of the hymns she wrote is a favorite of many of us, “All Things Bright and Beautiful”.
Tuesday is a good day to look at the hymn of the week and its author, Cecil Frances Humphries. One of the hymns she wrote is a favorite of many of us, “All Things Bright and Beautiful”.
As a small girl, Cecil (1818-1895), wrote poetry in her school’s journal. In 1850 she married Rev. William Alexander. He later became the Chief Bishop of Ireland. Cecil showed her concern for disadvantaged people by many miles each day to visit the sick and the poor, providing food, warm clothes, and medical supplies. She and her sister also founded a school for the deaf. She wrote hymns based on the Apostles’ Creed, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the Ten Commandments, and prayer. Her more than four hundred hymn texts were published in Verses from the Holy Scripture, Hymns for Little Children, and Hymns Descriptive and Devotional. (Hymnary)
“All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.”
“All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.”
In the verses of this beloved him, Cecil wrote such phrases as:
“Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings”
“The sunset and the morning that brightens up the sky”
“The pleasant summer sun”
“The ripe fruits in the garden”
“Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings”
“The sunset and the morning that brightens up the sky”
“The pleasant summer sun”
“The ripe fruits in the garden”
The lyrics are so visual, and the music is lilting and lively. You can’t help but feel joy when you sing this marvelous work. It causes you to hum it all day long.
Cecil in her works gave us words to see the beauty of nature. But the last verse is a directive:
“He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.”
Yes, beauty is all around us, but I embrace the beauty that is within each of us. The helping hands. The preparation of a meal for someone who is ill. An understanding shoulder to lean on when in need. The prayers for each other.
The fellowship we enjoy, and so much more. These are the “beauties” that I know is so representative of our church.
Enjoy the beauty of nature and give thanks for the “beauty” in all of you.
With a song in my heart,
Rick
