As Rivers Flow from a Distant Spring (All Creation Sings 1046)
1 As rivers flow from a distant spring
to quench our thirst and feed the earth,
so let our lives flow from you our Source,
to counter death and nurture birth.
2 As trees rise up from the forest floor
by roots that feed each limb above,
so let our lives rise in praise to you
from hearts we root in your deep love.
3 As woods make shelter within its shade
for beasts to feed and birds to nest,
so let our lives be a sheltered space,
a refuge for the worn to rest.
4 So let us praise you, Creator God,
for worlds that witness to your care,
that show your presence in ev’ry place,
your glory shining ev’rywhere.
Text: David Bjorlin, b. 1984
Text © 2020 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
License for congregational use available from OneLicense.
Note: “As Rivers Flow from a Distant Spring” was written to honor the retirement of Dr. Phil Anderson, Professor of Church History, from North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL. Dr. David Bjorlin is Assistant Professor of Worship at NPTS, and the Rev. William Beckstrand (M.Div. ‘93) is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Hovland, Minnesota.
Devotion
My Lakota friend does not smoke nor chew tobacco, yet we stopped in Sturgis to buy a pouch of tobacco. After our hot and dusty hike, we reached the summit of Bear Butte. He opened the pouch and offered prayers: to east, south, west, and north, straight up to the sky above, straight down to the earth below, scattering a bit of tobacco in the wind with each prayer. A circular motion and prayer tied it together, a seven-fold prayer symbolizing a perfect unity. It didn’t matter that I understood only a handful of Lakota words; they were my prayers too. The Spirit was speaking. It was a witness to our Creator God’s care, presence, and shining glory, present in every place. It was a witness that people of all cultures can rise in praise of God. More connects us than divides us. Mitákuye oyás’iŋ, we are all related.
Prayer
Help us, Creator Spirit, to witness to your care, show your presence in all that we do, and see you in all people. Amen.