Lord, all creation praises Thee
With beauty, order, harmony;
All are obedient to Thy Word:
Pulsating star, migrating bird.
Only mankind, formed by Thy hand,
Dares disobey Thy least command.
And we, for whom Thou mad'st the earth,
Have cursed Thy name, rebelled from birth,
Turned order backward to chaos:
Discord and ugliness -- and loss.
Our beauty gone, we dwell in sin,
Evil without, corrupt within.
But Christ, the King of beauty, came
To bear our sin, reproach, and shame.
Change filth, O Lord, to righteousness;
Remove our ingrained selfishness,
And make us new in every part --
Thy beauty shining from each heart.
Now may Thy saved ones offer praise
By love, obedience, holy ways,
To grace, and not disgrace, Thy name;
A hidden life in Christ our aim.
Strengthened by Thee to o'ercome sin,
Lord, make us beautiful within!
Amen.
(Melody: "Vater Unser", The Lutheran Hymnal No. 318.
written for Lutheran Women's Missionary League Zone Workshop, "Hidden Beauty Secrets" 1970)
