The I asked fans of the Environmental Ministries Facebook page (and a few other folks) to share their favorite songs (hymns or otherwise) about the environment or nature. These are the results:
Under the heading of hymns or songs for worship there was a wide-ranging response:
“For the Beauty of the Earth”
“Joy to the World”
“God of the Sparrow”
“All Creatures of Our God and King”
“Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin
“This is My Father’s World” by Maltbie Babcock
“Morning Has Broken”
“How Great Thou Art”
“On Eagles Wings” by Michael Joncas
“Wherever I May Wander”
“O Lord of Every Shining Constellation”
To find more ideas for environmentally focused hymns, visit the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice website for an expanded list.
Some people mentioned songs from their childhood, some from camp or Sunday School:
“God’s Beautiful World” from childhood Sunday School
“Ever Green Ever Blue” by Raffi
“Jesus My Lord” by John Fischer, sung at church camp
There were also some non-hymns mentioned, including:
John Denver’s “Calypso”
Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song”
Music by Tom Knight – a songwriter for children from Ithaca, NY
“Holy Ground” by Woody Guthrie (“Take off your shoes/This place you’re standing, it’s holy ground”)
What are your favorite songs about the environment or nature?