1. Loved into being, by the Creator,
creatures revealing beauty divine.
Precious your textures, exquisite your colours,
diverse beyond measure, bold your design.

2. Christ interrupting, all our injustice,
bold love disrupting failures to care.
Seeking our witness, equity flowering,
daring within us, redress and repair.

3. Spirit unfolding, forging connexions,
deep in belonging, each find their place.
Risking inclusion, mutually transforming,
beloved perfusion, abundant in grace.

4. Torn and divided, forgetting your promise,
needing reminded just whose we are.
Rethread your vision, restore our fabric
Weaver Christ risen, mending us all.

Lyrics: Jennifer Henry (2025)

Tune options: It might scan to a traditional Gaelic melody, with traditional words by Eleanor Farjeon, made famous in a less traditional rendition by Cat Stevens.

Note: I have been coming undone by the vilifying of DEI. Not only are these hard won words, values, aspirations, strategies and commitments, they strike me as core to the dream of God, the essence of God’s revelation of themselves. I wrote this poem/hymn reflecting on the Trinity and this trio of words. Blame the Methodists for “connexion”. It’s still a work in progress but I thought I would share it.

Creator of the Great Diversity

Help us to proclaim Your extravagant grace

embody Your radical justice

and be a living sacrament of Your immeasurable and limitless love.

Amen

Words and image: Jennifer Henry

March 14, 2024

One: We are here,
Voices strong, bodies proud, hearts bold.
Living testimony to your great diversity,
Sign and sacrament of your loving justice,
For such a time as this.
All: We rise in love seeking justice.

One: We acknowledge
The ways in which we have failed,
Failed to take in the fulness of your love
To believe the breadth of your grace
To see the rainbow colours of Your hope.
All: We breathe in humility seeking hope.

One: We repent
From the traditions that constrain Your promise
The use of texts to demean and abuse
Mission that distorted Your radical welcome
All: We turn from hate seeking change.

One: We celebrate
The unfolding mystery of Your presence,
Communities learning and transforming,
Movements of rites and rights that change the world
All: We open in faith seeking transformation.

One: We pray in the name of the Three in One God,
Ever in relationship,
Risking daring creation, intimate solidarity, prophetic love.
All: Amen

Words: Susie Henderson and Jennifer Henry, 2022

For All Who Mother,

Creator, we give thanks for all those who mother in diverse and wonderful ways. May we find words and ways to express our gratitude.

For the mothers who build peace all around the world that the lives of their children might be transformed. May the origins of this day be honored with our deepened commitment to peace.

For the mothers of Black sons, of Indigenous daughters, of all racialized children. May racist violence and white supremacy end and safety, equity and justice for all children be made real.

For the spiritual mothers, chosen mothers, mothers of history and mothers of movements who have helped to bring about change in church and world.  May our lives and our choices build on their legacy. 

For those seeking to mother who are denied, for those who grieve their mothers, for mothers who grieve their children, and for those for whom the word “mother” is pain and not comfort. May your stories be honoured.

For our Mother the Earth, who is wounded by our neglect and excess. May we learn from what she is teaching us about how to truly live.

We lift all these prayers to you, Creator. With your Mothering love, receive our prayers. Amen

Words: Jennifer Henry

May 9, 2020