Wintry hike & songs I like

My friend Bobbi complains when I don’t upload photos so here’s one from a few weeks ago hiking in the Mournes.

I returned from the U.S. on January 1 armed with Singing the Living Tradition, the UU hymnal. I’m not a fan of the archaic hymns we sing as part of non-subscribing Presbyterianism. Random example:
In thy house, great God, we offer
Of thine own to thee,
And for thine acceptance proffer
All unworthily,
Hearts and minds and hands and voices
In our choicest
Psalmody.

What does that even mean? I suffer through the hymns because I prize harmony--I could be singing anything--and I love our choir and our accompanist. My choir joy has been heightened, however, by successfully introducing a UU hymn, one of my favourites. It is essentially a blessing for a house. Verses 2 & 3:

Peace shall walk softly through these rooms,
touching our lips with holy wine,
till every casual corner blooms into a shrine.

With laughter drown the raucous shout,
and, though these sheltering walls are thin,
may they be strong to keep hate out and hold love in.

Pure poetry.
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