08/25/11

I have been writing hymn texts since the early 1970s.  I was part of a group of women gathered by the Ecumenical Women's Center of Chicago to collect new hymns and revise old hymns that would provide an alternative to traditions showing God as exclusively male.  Among many other texts, I had taken home "Rise Up, O Men of God" and "Lead On, O King Eternal"; though my assignment was to revise the texts I was inspired to write new texts to the same tune, "Arise, Your Light Has Come," and "Lead On, O Cloud of Presence."  The book we were editing was published in 1974 under the name Because We Are One People, and these first two texts were published there.

Since then, I have written about 150 hymn texts, many of which have been published in denominational hymnals in the United States, Canada, Scotland, and Australia.  I have also published three collections of my hymn texts with old and new tunes by various composers: Dancing in the Universe (G.I.A., 1992), Circles of Care (Pilgrim, 1998), and Welcome God's Tomorrow (G.I.A., 2005). 

I consider the writing of hymn texts to be a gift and call from God, and so I want to do my very best.  I also believe that the Holy Spirit works both through inspiration and perspiration--guiding the overall direction and also the hard work of refining a text so that it communicates and sings well.