New 50th anniversary hymn commissioned, ready for congregational use
Written by J. Bennett Guess
Friday, 16 March 2007
The Rev. Carl Daw Jr., a well-known hymn writer, has completed a commissioned hymn to commemorate the UCC's 50th anniversary celebration.
"God our Maker, whose first summons" is a new hymn text based on the UCC's anniversary-year theme, "Let it shine!" It may be used freely in the UCC throughout the anniversary year, as long as the copyright information is included as it appears on the hymn page.
"This image of Christians as bearers of light is the unifying theme of this hymn, and the various stanzas relate this theme to the three persons of the Trinity, both individually and jointly," Daw wrote in his artistic statement.
Daw authored the text to accompany the ever-popular Welch tune, CWM RHONDDA, popularly known by its more-common text, "God of grace, and God of glory."
Daw, an Episcopal priest, is executive director of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and an adjunct professor of hymnology at Boston University.
Well acquainted with the UCC, Daw was involved in the creation of The New Century Hymnal as one of the poets engaged to recraft the language of older hymns. In the end, eight of Daw's texts were included in The New Century Hymnal.
"Daw's texts, known for their rich use of metaphors, appear in almost all the modern denominational hymnals," says Art Clyde, who was editor of the UCC's popular 1995 hymnal.