The bell tower

"For the Beauty of the Earth" is such a simple hymn, but it accurately demonstrates the praise we ought to have for God.  I think there are many things in life that we have to be amazed at--things that give us opportunity to praise--but we neglect to because they are often the every-day things.  Don't forget that you didn't have the ability to make the rain fall or create the dew and frost that shines on the grass.

Listen to this arrangement by John Rutter!  And I got to sing that in a choir once!  Truly wonderful.

For the beauty of the earth, 

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies:

Christ our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale and tree and flow'r,

Sun and moon and stars of light:

(I think we often tend to take the everyday things for granted.  What if they were truly seen as wonders each day?  They really are, we just forget!)

Christ our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild:

Christ our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy church that evermore

Lifteth holy hands above,

Off'ring up on every shore

Her pure sacrifice of love:

Christ our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.