Going through a notebook I found this hymn that I copied out of a hymnal at Mount St. Scholastica, a Benedictine monastery, on one my retreats there. It’s a great hymn, and I thought I would share it. And if you ever get a chance to hang out with Benedictine sisters do it: they are very, very cool.
“Sing a New Church” by Delores Dufner, OSB
Tune: “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
Summoned by the God who made us
Rich in our diversity,
Gathered in the name of Jesus,
Richer still in unity:
Chorus:
Let us bring the gifts that differ
And, in splendid, varied ways,
Sing a new church into being,
One of faith and love and praise
Radiant risen from the water;
Robed in holiness and light,
Male and female in God’s image
Male and female God’s delight:
Chorus
Trust the goodness of creation;
Trust the Spirit strong within.
Dare to dream the vision promised
Sprung from seed of what has been.
Chorus
Bring the hopes of every nation;
Bring the art of every race.
Weave a song of peace and justice:
Let it sound through time and space.
Chorus
Draw together at one table
All the human family;
Shape a circle ever wider
And a people ever free.
(c) 1991 Sisters of St. Benedict. Published by OCP Productions.
If you know where I can find a recording of this, please let me know. I love the song but our new priest does not — so I would like to be able to “sing along” at home.
Heard this song for the very first time in mass, and it really touched me
I never thought of it that way, well put!
I love this hymn…and I love Benedictine sisters too. I did my spiritual direction training with the ones in Mt. Angel, Oregon, and of course the medieval mystics I study were often in those communities.