Hymn: a new creation

As I reached the status of an octogenarian with an increasing awareness of my own mortality it has been encouraging to be reminded by the Apostle Paul that "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" So with each new day of grace I pondered on the rich variety of newness this undeserved grace provides.

When I was invited to the ELCA Advanced Writers' Workshop June 14-18, 2003, I was working on a first draft of a hymn text on the theme of a new creation. I chose a simple meter of 11 11 9 9 and composed a melodic line to which my developing text could be set. The participants in this clinic included experienced writers, journalists, editors, musicians and poets. The perceptive insights and critique offered by these poets led to several improved drafts.

After the workshop I sent my text and melody to Chris Nelson, who kindly created an SATB setting of my hymn and made some helpful suggestions for the improvement of the text. Two more musicians, A. Louise Olson and Richard G. Steinbreuck, suggested further adaptations of the harmonization, which I have incorporated.

In creating a text centered on the newness bestowed in Christ Jesus, my examples were circumscribed so that I could not include beautiful citations on newness from the Old Testament.

The first stanza sets the theme of our being made a new creation in Christ who sets us free from the terror and tyranny of sin's enslavement.

The second stanza is careful not to denigrate the Hebrew tradition of the Torah but to show that in Christ's new interpretation of the old law he fulfilled what the Torah intended.

Stanza three reminds us that Jesus taught us a new commandment to love one another as he first loved us. His new commandment leaves no room for pride in our own achievements but rejoices in how the Lord enables us to love him through loving our neighbor.

Stanza four deals with the sacrament of the Eucharist, the gift of bread and wine through which we are renewed, forgiven, and absolved. We come to the table, broken we kneel, rising united, with newness made whole.

The last stanza stresses the rebirth in baptism. Jesus commissioned the disciples to teach and baptize. Through this sacrament of word and water we are welcomed into the kingdom of God.

This hymn is appropriate for worship at the rites of confirmation, eucharist, and baptism. It is especially fitting for August 5, 2007, when the second reading is Col 3:1-10, dealing with the new life in Christ.

A New Creation

2 Cor 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

1 A new cre-a-tion we're made in Christ Je-sus.
  From sin's en-slave-ment and ter-ror he frees us.
  Now a new an-them sing-ing al-ways,
  Fill-ing each mo-ment with end-less praise.
2 Je-sus with new wine the To-rah tran-scend-ed.
  His word ful-fills all the old law in-tend-ed.
  When life seems aim-less, with-out a way,
  He will di-rect us with grace each day.
3 His new com-mand-ment to love one an-o-ther,
  Treat-ing each neigh-bor as sis-ter or bro-ther.
  No long-er self and pride on the throne,
  Service and sac-ri-fice our hearts will own.
4 Re-newed by bread and wine for ab-so-lu-tion,
  This ho-ly sac-ra-ment brings res-o-lu-tion.
  Brok-en we kneel, di-vid-ed in soul,
  Ris-ing u-nit-ed with new-ness whole.
5 When our Lord left his dis-ci-ples he taught them
  To bap-tize all who would trust and be-lieve him.
  Through word and wa-ter re-born a-new,
  Wel-comed to en-ter his kingdom true.

Text: Howard S. Olson

Tune: Howard S. Olson

Newness

11 11 9 9

Howard S. Olson

Sun City Center, Florida

COPYRIGHT 2007 Lutheran School of Theology and Mission
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning