The Gulf oil spill probably doesn't make you feel like singing, but a hymn written for the occasion calls for contrition and stewardship.
Written by Presbyterian minister Carolyn Winfrey Gillette in response to the ongoing oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig, "O God, the Great, Wide Seas Are Yours" laments:
Forgive us when we disobey
And fail to care for what you’ve made.
Consuming more than what we should,
We harm the waters you call good.
Its final verse implores:
God, may we hear your call anew
To care for all these gifts from you.
May we protect the sea and shore
By using less, conserving more...
Liturgists can (and will) argue the merits of such a hymn and the lyrics of this particular one, but I, for one, admire Protestants for being on top of current events. The entire hymn is on the the website of Church World Service, a cooperative ministry of 36 Christian denominations and organizations (and organizer of the CROP Hunger Walk.) Can you imagine this song in a Catholic church?
