This is my Song

This beautiful Hymn was sung for us in church today, July 4, 2010, by Ann and David Harsh and AnnEllen and Ken Boettcher. It’s so beautiful; I had to find out more.

The following are the lyrics listed in our United Methodist Hymnal (#437). Music by Jean Sibelius (1899) and Words adapted by Lloyd Stone(1934). It’s a prayer for peace, here and everywhere.

This is My Song

This is my song, oh God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
This is my song, oh God of all the nations;
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

This is my prayer, o Lord of all earth's kingdoms
Thy kingdom come on earth thy will be done.
Let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve him.
And hearts united learn to live as one.
Oh hear my prayer, o God of all the nations.
Myself I give thee; let thy will be done.

So moving are these lyrics. Truly, as we celebrate our own independence, let us pray for freedom and peace everywhere.

Here is a link to an article about the song from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandia_Hymn

Here is a beautiful rendition of the hymn by The Southwest American Choral Director's Association Collegiate Choir in 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCjuxePRyCo&feature=related

And here is a link of the hymn being sung by the Indigo Girls with Missy Higgins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD1t6tzbp-Y