This newer hymn comes from a Presbyterian in New Zealand, Shirley Erena Murray. She has authored nearly 200 hymns. The New Zealand government honored her as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001 as thanks for sharing her gifts and faith with the larger church. Through her faith, and experiences in Amnesty International as well as a teacher of languages, she brings depth to the words of this thanksgiving hymn, speaking anew to the words of Psalm 29:2b and 96:6a. We are all encouraged to ‘worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,’ that can be found in creation, movement, silence, and stillness. What beauty indeed as we offer our gratitude to a Lord whose beauty is embodied all around us, closing with the final verse,
O beauty of the Spirit, where love is shining through, O beauty ever ancient, O beauty ever new, in gratitude, in worship, my being sings to you!
Prayer
Holy Lord, as the seasons change and the sun elongates the shadows for longer evenings, we are reminded of your beauty in the world around us, in the faces of love which surround us and in Christ’s blessings. May we lift our voices in worship for such beauty as well. Amen.
