HYMN: O Lord, You Made the Waters

 For about a year and a half now, I’ve been working on writing a hymn text for each reading in the Easter Vigil. I’ve turned each reading into a metrical text, and for most of them I have included a stanza for an introduction and/or a conclusion. Now that I’ve completed the first draft of a text for every reading, I want to write a stanza of introduction and/or conclusion for any text that is missing one. That way, if someone wants to read the Biblical readings and sing just the introductory and concluding stanzas, it’s not a full repeat of every reading.

Here’s the last first draft, a text covering the Flood in Genesis 7-9. Feedback is love.

O Lord, You Made the Waters

for the Easter Vigil

The Flood—Genesis 7, 8, and 9

1. O Lord, You made the waters

And sent them to the earth.

Though water brings destruction,

It also gives new birth.

Oh, pour on us a wellspring,

A great baptismal flood,

To drown old wretched Adam

In Christ’s own watered blood.

2. The Lord said unto Noah,

“My faithful servant, heed:

Go, you and all your household,

The creatures I have made.

Now board the ark of gopher

And seal yourself inside,

For I will drown creation;

You only will abide.”

3. So Noah, as commanded,

With all his family

Did board with all the creatures,

Obeying God’s decree.

The heavens then were opened

With fountains from the deep.

God drowned His fouled creation,

But Noah did He keep.

4. The rain to earth descended.

For forty days it fell.

The ark, it rose and floated

Upon the mighty swell.

But Noah and his household

Were safe amidst the gale.

The boat which God commanded

By grace would never fail.

5. Then Noah sent a raven

To wing into the blue.

It rose into the heavens;

Above the deep it flew.

A dove he sent to flutter;

Of ground it found no trace.

On Noah’s hand it settled:

Its only resting place.

6. For seven days he waited,

Then sent the dove again.

An olive leaf she brought him;

The flood began to wane.

Once more, then, Noah waited,

And let the dove take flight.

She left, no more returning,

To Noah’s great delight.

7. Then Noah moved the cover,

The ark bared to the sky.

The water had subsided. 

He saw the ground was dry.

“Go forth,” God said to Noah.

“Bring out your sons and wife;

Bring out the living creatures

That they may bear new life.

8. “Now hear My word of promise;

Oh, hear My sure decree:

With you and all creation

My covenant shall be.

All flesh shall never perish

Nor floods the earth will raze.

Behold this sign, the rainbow:

My vow through endless days.”

9. Oh, grant us faith, dear Father,

Through this baptismal tide,

To trust Your Word of promise

And in Your grace abide.

Protect Your chosen children

Who shelter in Your nave,

Who bear Your name forever,

Who trust Your might to save.