New eco related words to old hymns
Introducing new songs can be tricky, and I can't write music anyway, so every now and then I put new words to a good old tune. Some get a lot of re-editing and thought, others are written in five minutes. I will slowly add more here for your use, and chopping and changing to suit. They all take a somewhat progressive, and evolution affirming, position. (Norman Habel has written some great eco-hymns with more traditional theology and no evolution)
I like humor in hymns, as you will see. If you don't , just chop it out

Index

MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF AN EVOLVING UNIVERSE
RETURN TO EARTH / DEATH CREEPS SLY
ECO CHRISTMAS CAROLS (on the Christmas page)

MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF AN EVOLVING UNIVERSE ;
To the tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic, Jason John 2007

Mine eyes have seen the glory of_the evolving universe
Sure it isn’t perfect but you know it could be worse!
There is lots of fighting, but there’s love: now that’s a first
God’s love is flowing forth!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! God’s  love is flowing forth.

I have seen God in the twinkle of a zillion zillion stars
There may be life out there but its very very far
God loves us and ours- just like God loves them and thars
And we are loving back!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Yes we are loving back.

Now we stand upon the threshold of 2008
Christ may be coming back but now he’s getting rather late.
We’ll leave it to the cults to try and pick his return date
For the Spirit lives on in us.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Yes the Spirit lives on in us!

God has given us the strength to change all the things we should
The serenity to leave the things we only wish we could
If everybody gets involved the world could turn out good!
When love comes flowing forth!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our love is flowing forth!

We are the hands and feet of God, the forests are the lungs
The rivers are God’s lifeblood and the microbes are God’s bum
God is more than all of that but also in each one.
God's glory is all around
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! See God's glory all around!

RETURN TO EARTH / DEATH CREEPS SLY
Jason John 2005. A hymn written for the Season of Creation in 2005.

To the tune: God has spoken by his prophets (Together in Song #158)
Verses 1-4 make up “Death creeps Sly”
Verses 4-7 make up “Return to Earth”
I liked the idea of singing a hymn in consecutive weeks where the verses actually overlap each other.  Some of the lines are a bit obscure as they relate to what I preached (or planned to).

Death creeps sly upon all creatures
It will claim us, every one-
As is now it has been always
Since the day that life begun
(It) fills us with despair and turmoil
When it comes upon us fast
(Or) if the battle is protracted
And we fight it to the last

We will die as did Christ Jesus
When at last our time has come
Its the sad part of the story
Then the joy when babies come
It’s the key to evolution
Life from death ‘ere time began
Whether creatures or whole species
Death was here before humans

Paradise is not behind us
How could God have cursed her Earth?
Yet at times we can imagine
(she) may lament our human birth
With the warring of our nations
Poisoning land sea and sky
Well may other creatures ask her,
“Human beings!  Oh dear God why?”

Come now brother, sister, hear me
God calls us- “return to Earth”
Do not seek escape in heaven
Live your life for all its worth
Christ has shown us what’s required
How to live this human life
How to love our siblings, cousins
How to put an end to strife.

We need love and we need freedom
So does every mammal too
Does the pig or chicken have it?
Should we all eat kangaroo?
We must balance love and freedom
and make sense out of it all
This is our true Christian journey
Not recovery from the Fall.

Are we poor, already blessed
Or the rich in deep peril?
Leper, beggar or Zacchaeus
Poor widow or the rich fool?
Jesus came to save the powerful
Or that’s what our preacher thinks
He hopes we find the next verse helpful
Even if the sermon stinks

We’re part of the resurrection
When we do what Jesus did
Behold the image of our maker
Let it shape the life we live
See the image all around us
Its in me and its in you
We can see it in each other
And in every creature, too.