Carolyn Winfrey Gillette is the author of over 400 hymns that have been sung by thousands of congregations around the world, and are found in 20 books and thousands of websites, including carolynshymns.com. Many of her hymns are published at Sojourners and are also found inChristian Century magazine, The New Yorker, National Public Radio, and PBS-TV. She and her husband Bruce are Presbyterian ministers who have served congregations in New York Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. View the Sojourners video on Carolyn's hymns here. Her new book, I Sing to My Savior: New Hymns from the Stories in the Gospel of Luke , is being released in July 2022.
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O God, This Day We Grieve
Vigil for the victims of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Penn., Oct. 27, 2018. REUTERS/John Altdorfer
O God, this day we grieve your children who were lost,
and we, as one, are horrified by hatred’s cost.
For people loved by you— your children, called and blest—
were murdered on their Sabbath Day of prayer and rest.
A Hymn for Justice
O God, When Trust is Shattered
Saint Patrick Catholic Church is seen in York, Penn., Aug. 18, 2018. Picture taken August 18, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
This new hymn is in response to the latest news of abuse by clergy; it was written with input from survivors and counselors. The hymn also references Pope Francis’ Aug. 20 letter, using in particular: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Please share the hymn with priests, pastors, church musicians, counselors, friends and others who might find it helpful. Permission is given for its free use. Prayers, including sung ones, and actions are needed to “Bring healing, love and mercy; Bring justice, God of truth.”
A Hymn for Reclaiming Jesus
Image via Sojourners/Bekah Fulton
We reclaim the name of Jesus; we’re Christ’s body here on earth.
We resist when some would lead us to devalue women’s worth.
We see how Christ loved the stranger, tore down barriers, opened doors.
We will welcome those in danger; we will love and serve the poor.
Where are the Amber Alerts for Children at the Border?
Image via REUTERS/Loren Elliott
A Hymn for Children That Need Rescuing
Detainees sleep in a holding cell at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility, in Brownsville, Texas June 18, 2014. REUTERS/Eric Gay/Pool/
Are locked in detention as part of some plan,
May we be reminded that you love them, too;
They’re made in your image; they’re precious to you.
When Jesus Went to Egypt: A Hymn for Immigrant Families
Image via Reuters//Loren Elliott/
O God, we pray for children
And families coming here
Now facing separation,
And filled with grief and fear.
For children, loved and treasured,
Are ripped from loving kin.
This deed, by any measure,
Is torture. It’s a sin!
God, We Thank You for the Churches
Christ, we thank you for your welcome
that tears walls and borders down,
that gives hope to people fleeing,
that helps churches stand their ground.
For our neighbors, Lord, are asking,
and they’re wondering what we’ll do.
May our churches give them welcome,
and so find we welcome you.
A Hymn of Radical Welcome: As Simon Was Casting His Net in the Water
O Lord, as you went to that house to bring healing,
You showed us the heart of God's purpose and plan.
With love and with care, you brought health — so revealing
That lives are made whole by God's word and command.
A Hymn for Those Listening for God's Call
May we hear others’ stories — what makes them sad or strong / Till — listening — we find friendship, with love our common song
When Nations Turn Toward Trouble
When nations turn toward trouble
and hope seems all but gone,
when threats and conflicts double,
what can we count upon?
A Hymn for Sutherland Springs, Texas
Brandy Jones prays in front of 26 crosses erected near the site of the shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland, Texas, U.S., November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
Our thoughts and prayers are fleeting breath.
If we just dream of what could be
And do not build community,
And do not seek to change our ways,
Our dreams of change are false displays.
Young Joseph the Dreamer
Image via Shutterstock.com/Ververidis Vasilis
We thank you for thousands of sisters and brothers
Who seek education, who love this good land.
For they are a blessing to us and to others;
May we reach to offer a welcoming hand.
O God, We’ve Prayed in Wind and Rain
Image via Shutterstock.com/Parilov
We pray for others far away
Who’ve seen destruction, too;
We look beyond ourselves, for they
Are also loved by you.
O Christ, We Remember the Things That You Did
Image via Shutterstock.com
By the grace of our God, you brought life to the earth;
As you healed those in need, you saw each person’s worth.
May we who proclaim you now answer your call
To bring hope and healing — and health care to all.
We’re Made in the Image: A New Poem for Health Care for All
We’re made in the image
The Message expresses,
The Good News attests
That we’re formed out of sod,
That we’re made every one
A Little Bit of Salt
A church that is filled with Jesus’ flavor — and that shares the light of God’s love — can make a profound difference in the world. Pastors, church leaders, and many other loving Christians have been active in welcoming refugees and immigrants, standing up for their rights, contacting their leaders in Congress, protesting unjust policies, and saying clearly that hate has no place in this country.
A New Father, Awe-Struck
“A New Father, Awe-Struck” is a new hymn-prayer written days before Christmas 2016. It begins with a traditional image of a manger scene, and becomes a prayer that we may look deeper— at our loving God who chose to come into this world as someone who was poor, powerless, in danger, and a refugee.
A Hymn-Prayer for the Election
Image via wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com
God, may this time of anger be over;
May we grow past our current divide.
Make us as one, as sisters and brothers;
In this good land, may your love abide.
A Hymn: For Schoolchildren and All Who Love Them
Image via Nadezhda1906/Shutterstock
Robert Putnam’s new book, Our Kids: The Crisis in the American Dream, laments the decline in social capital (how we are connected to others and care for them) with its devastating impact on poor children today. Past generations of poor children often had more opportunities because they benefited from connections with churches, teachers, coaches, and other mentors who supported them. Putnam, a respected Harvard sociologist, documents how too many children are missing these caring adults in their lives today. He offers "purple solutions" to the growing "opportunity gap" and poverty that includes support by all for public schools.
Many churches witness to their concern for school children with a "Blessing of the Backpacks" service. Some churches invite the children in the congregation to bring their own backpacks for a blessing before a new school year begins. This is a way to acknowledge that school is a common yet very important part of our children’s lives. Other churches collect school supplies for children in need, assemble the donated supplies in backpacks, and bring them to church for a blessing in worship.
The tune of the following new hymn is the same Gaelic melody used for "Morning Has Broken," and it seems appropriate to sing a joyful "morning" tune as children, parents, and teachers start to get up earlier in the mornings to head off to school.