What Does the Lord Require

Exhausted after having flown to Ottawa and back for a time packed with meetings, I say to myself, I should write lyrics to a hymn to celebrate the parish’s 250th anniversary.

I took as my inspiration two things: first, our parish Vision—to show the transforming love and justice of God in action. The cornerstone scripture for our vision statement is Micah 6:8b, so incorporating that seemed like a good idea too. It’s where the title of the hymn comes from.

Second, I thought that the six question we ask ourselves at every Baptism would give lots of material for a hymn. But the main reason for using those questions is that they have, perhaps even more than our Vision, defined us as a community. Much of the time, when someone makes a suggestion, they use one or more of those questions as support material for their idea. That’s not a bad thing at all—in fact, that a very good thing. Only good can flow from a community that takes its Baptismal promises seriously. We hold ourselves to high standards.

So, over the course of a few days the hymn began taking shape. For the first time ever, I sought collaboration from another. Jane Ledwell helped and made significant improvements to the poem. Elizabeth Borman and the choir got hold of it and improved it by putting it to a tune that suits it better that the one we wrote it to.

I do hope that you like it. It is meant to praise the joy I see in you every day. It is meant to reflect the Light of Christ that I see shining in you. It is meant to give thanks to the Word of God that is born in this community—a presence that has been here for 250 years and will continue to be with the people of St. Paul’s Parish for generation upon generation.

To love and mercy we are called:

informed by faith, transformed by love;

forgiveness, mercy we employ,

and sing our thankfulness with joy.