We Are One In Christ poem
This responsive poem was written for Night 5 at Spring Harvest 2012. It approaches the topic of our unity and diversity as the Body and Bride of Christ. You can use the PowerPoint to allow people to join in the response at the end of each verse - a good symbol of unity! As poetry, it deserves to be read meaningfully. You can bring out the humour in some of the lines, but also the sadness of some of the others. We let it go into a time of sung worship at Spring Harvest, but it could also come at the end of a service.
We are many,
God's great diversity,
yet we are one in Christ.
Different faces,
different races,
yet we are one in Christ.
Butchers, bakers,
website makers,
bankers, tailors,
teachers, sailors,
yet we are one in Christ.
Fathers, mothers,
sisters, brothers,
single, married,
broken, carried,
yet we are one in Christ.
The happy, the clappy,
the barely out of nappies,
the ancient, the modern,
the famous, the forgotten,
yet we are one in Christ.
Some hopeful, some hopeless,
some cope well, some cope less.
Some sure and some doubt,
some whisper, some shout,
yet we are one in Christ.
Those with abundance,
those with need,
those who are generous
or wrestle with greed,
yet we are one in Christ.
Elbows, tummies, knees and noses,
kidneys, femurs, teeth and toeses.
Some unmentionable, some protected,
some accepted, some rejected,
yet we are one in Christ.
A broken body,
torn apart,
mars God's image,
breaks God's heart.
And yet our Father knows how the end will be,
when all his kids will sing in harmony,
the bride will dazzle, her branches bloom,
so add your voice to hymn the tune
that we are one in Christ.
Second Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Third Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Day of Pentecost (Year A)
Proper 11, Ordinary/Lectionary 16 (Year B)
Proper 13, Ordinary/Lectionary 18 (Year B)
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Thanks for spotting that! I've now fixed the spelling (never my strongest suit...)
A "hymn" is the name for a song of praise to God. But you don't "hymn" a tune, you sing both words and a tune. Again poetic licence & so it is acceptable.
So yes it _is_ :
"so add your voice to hymn the tune"
Alan Lloyd
Is there any way of changing the words on the powerpoint as there is a typo on slide 9. It reads 'marrs' instead of mars. (it is correct in the typed page above) Hope you can help me. Thanks John S
It was great! People loved to be involved and it really demonstrated how everyone is different and valued in the body of Christ. So thank you for inspiring that :)
I would like to adapt a couple of verses, with your permission.
I would like to adapt a couple of verses, with your permission.
We're based in Canada so I've made a few tweaks:
- "the happy, the clappy" lines replaced with: "The newbie, the lifer, the I'm-just-here-with-my-wife-er,"
- "unmentionable", replaced by "dented"
- and then the final stanza:
A broken people
torn apart,
mars God's image,
breaks God's heart.
We pray to God for the day to be,
when all will sing in harmony,
when difference fades and unity blooms,
so add your voice to proclaim the news.
I'm not 100% set on rhyming "blooms" with "news" so that may yet change again...
Thank you for sharing your gift so widely!!
One: We are many,
God's great diversity,
All: yet we are one in Christ.
One: Different faces,
different races,
All: yet we are one in Christ.
One: Butchers, bakers,
website makers,
bankers, tailors,
teachers, sailors,
All: yet we are one in Christ.
One: Fathers, mothers,
sisters, brothers,
single, married,
broken, carried,
All: yet we are one in Christ.
One: The newbie, the lifer,
the I'm-just-here-with-my-wife-er,
the ancient, the modern,
the famous, the forgotten,
All: yet we are one in Christ.
One: Some hopeful, some hopeless,
some cope well, some cope less.
Some sure and some doubt,
some whisper, some shout,
All: yet we are one in Christ.
One: Those with abundance,
those with need,
those who are generous
or wrestle with greed,
All: yet we are one in Christ.
One: Elbows, tummies, knees and noses,
kidneys, femurs, teeth and toeses.
Some dented, some protected,
some accepted, some rejected,
All: yet we are one in Christ.
One: A broken people,
torn apart,
mars God's image,
breaks God's heart.
We pray to God for the day to be,
when all will sing in harmony,
when difference fades and unity blooms,
so add your voice to proclaim the news
All: that we are one in Christ.