HYMN: O Father of Creation

Looking through the Easter Vigil, the thought of putting the creation account into rhyme intimidated me. I deliberately skipped over it as I was choosing texts to work on, thinking I’d let John Fleischman do it, or try to do it myself at the end of the project...if ever. And then I got on the train yesterday. I don’t know what happened—I can only guess that the Holy Spirit was knocked into me one of the times when I bumped my head on the overhead storage bin. But in the space of four hours, I had a rough first draft of a creation text. 

Now, the question of whether or not it’s any good...well, I’ll leave that up to you, gentle reader. As always, feedback is love.

O Father of Creation

for the Easter Vigil

The Creation—Genesis 1:1-2:3

1. O Father of creation;

O Word, begotten Son;

O Holy Spirit, brooding:

By You is all begun.

By water You have washed us,

Creating us anew.

Now bless Your new creation.

Conform our lives to you.

2. God made in the beginning

The heavens and the earth.

The earth was void and shapeless,

Awaiting life and birth.

Then God beheld the darkness;

He said, “Let there be light.”

The light He called the “daytime”;

He called the darkness “night.”

3. Again God spoke, creating

Upon the second day

A broad expanse of heaven,

A powerful display,

To separate the waters

Above from those below.

He called the space “the heavens.”

He spoke, and it was so.

4. The third day, then, God gathered

The waters by command.

The “seas” He called the water,

And “earth” He called dry land.

“Let earth grow vegetation,

Both fruit and plant with seed.”

The herbs and orchards sprouted,

And it was good, indeed.

5. The fourth day, God created

The greater light, the sun,

And lesser moon and starlight

For when the day is done.

He set them in the heavens

For seasons and to shine.

So day and night divided

By His command divine.

6. “Let water swarm with creatures.

Let nestlings soar above.”

The whale and dolphin flourished,

The eagle, hawk, and dove.

Then God said, “Now be fruitful

And multiply, each one,

To fill the sky and waters.”

The fifth day thus was done.

7. The sixth day God commanded,

“Come forth, now, creeping thing.

Come forth, the moose and bovine.

From earth, My creatures, spring.”

All creatures came as ordered;

In each was life bestirred:

The snake and all the livestock

According to the Word.

8. Then God said, “In Our likeness

Let Us create mankind.

And let them have dominion

O’er all that We designed.”

And so, in His own image

And likeness God made man.

God made them male and female;

Thus humankind began.

9. The seventh day, God rested,

Creation’s work now stilled,

His mighty work completed,

Accomplished as He willed.

As we await the new Day,

The “very good” restored,

We praise You for creation,

Our great Creator Lord.