Range: Moderate
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STLT#309, Earth Is Our Homeland

Now THIS is a humanist hymn I can get behind. What a glorious celebration of that creating, created, creative spark within each of us that is greater than the sum of us and that in the living evokes Mystery. Earth is our homeland: a song of stars, a grace wrought of the ages, an opal… Continue reading
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STLT#307, The Human Touch Can Light the Flame

Sometimes I sing a hymn and I think “it’s a fine hymn, but when would I ever use it?” (See the end for an important edit) It’s a fine hymn. Another solid lyric by our friend, English Unitarian minister John Andrew Storey – a song of welcome, for sure, and a song of community and connection. And… Continue reading
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STLT#305, De Colores

I am really struggling today to know what to say about this song. Partly, it’s because I didn’t look ahead enough to think about interviewing colleagues Julica Hermann DelaFuente or Marisol Caballero, both of whom might have more insight into the difficulties or joys of this Mexican folk tune appearing in our hymnal – perhaps… Continue reading
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STLT#304, A Fierce Unrest

I need the hope of possibility. I need the promise of unanswered questions. I need the assurance of unsealed revelation. Especially today, as I conclude my ministry at First Universalist Church of Southold and begin a community ministry in the arts and worship – a ministry whose form is not entirely clear but whose call… Continue reading
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STLT#303, We Are the Earth Upright and Proud

I can’t write – I’m still giggling about the fact that every time I start singing this, even with lyrics in front of me, I start singing the English lyrics of A Mighty Fortress Is our God. And then getting mad when ‘in us its rivers flowing’ doesn’t rhyme with “on earth is not an… Continue reading
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STLT#302, Children of the Human Race

Dear STLT Hymnal Commission: I love you, you know I do. I have been impressed with all you did to come up with this collection, and I have been honored to hear some of the stories from your chair, Mark Belletini. I know it was hard. I know it required a lot of sometimes unpopular… Continue reading
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STLT#301, Touch the Earth, Reach the Sky!

I’ve probably started this post eight or nine times so far. And nothing witty or insightful has shown up in any of those beginnings. It’s not that this isn’t a lovely hymn – it is. It’s not that this isn’t a good message for us to sing together – it is. Maybe its that it… Continue reading
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STLT#300, With Heart and Mind

As I’m going through this section, entitled The Life of Integrity, I realize I use (or should use) these hymns a lot – and somehow am not at all getting bored, like I have with other sections of our hymnal. (I’m lookin’ at you, Christmas…) It’s not surprising, as our Universalism calls us to love… Continue reading
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STLT#299, Make Channels for the Streams of Love

So…. bear with me on this: today’s hymn is the Jan to yesterday’s Marcia. Everyone loves Wake Now My Senses. it’s a popular ordination hymn. It makes some of us cry. It is easy to sing and suits so many sermons. And there, on the bottom of the right hand page, tucked away so as you… Continue reading
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STLT#298, Wake, Now, My Senses

One of the joys of belonging to a congregation that’s just 20 years old is that the history is recent, and there are a lot of firsts to be part of. On May 27th of this year, there were a lot of firsts: I was co-ordained by the First Universalist Church of Southold, where I was… Continue reading
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