“Let the Whole Creation Cry” ELW 876 and LBW 242
1Let the whole creation cry,
"Glory to the Lord on high!"
Heav'n and earth, awake and sing,
"Praise to our almighty king!"
Praise God, angel hosts above,
ever bright and fair in love;
sun and moon, lift up your voice;
night and stars, in God rejoice.
2Servants striving for the Lord,
prophets burning with the word,
those to whom the arts belong
add their voices to the song.
Pow'rs of knowledge and of law,
to the glorious circle draw;
all who work and all who wait,
sing, "The Lord is good and great!"
3Men and women, young and old,
raise the anthem loud and bold,
and let children's happy hearts
in this worship take their parts;
from the north to southern pole
let the mighty chorus roll:
"Holy, Holy, Holy One;
glory be to God alone!"
Devotion
The opening line of this hymn wonderfully echoes the gospel lesson for this week. John begins with the assertion that all creation came into being through the Word, and ends with the promise that in the Word become flesh we have beheld the very glory of God. The hymn, too, stretches the imagination from creation to glory. The opening line calls the whole creation to cry “Glory be to God!” and its last phrase imitates those same words. In between, the hymn recalls the psalmist with its listing of the component parts of creation, all invited to join the chorus and add their voices to the song.
Prayer
O God of creation, you hold the whole universe in your hands, and yet that you should become incarnate in your Word, take on flesh and dwell among us, is a wonder beyond our imagination. We join with creation to sing your praise and your glory! Amen.