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How Vast the Web of Life
Hymn composed by
J.L. WrightContextual information
The lyrics of “How Vast the Web of Life,” set to the tune of “How Great Thou Art,” are an expression of the interconnectedness of life, written during a time when divisiveness has hurt not only the United States but the world. By writing words to an age-old common tune, I hope to remind those who sing or hear it that we can come together.
The lyrics of “How Vast the Web of Life,” set to the tune of “How Great Thou Art,” are an expression of the interconnectedness of life, written during a time when divisiveness has hurt not only the United States but the world. By writing words to an age-old common tune, I hope to remind those who sing or hear it that we can come together.
Tune Name
How Great Thou Art
Tune Name
Text Meter
11.10.11.10 with Refrain
10.9.10.9
Song Composer
J.L. WrightHymn Arranger
Composer Background information
As a member of the U2C3, Unitarian Universalist Church of Corpus Christi, TX, poet J. L. Wright (she/they/thon) believes that “the future is not written in stone; it is spoken into existence—word by word, sentence by sentence.” Wright is committed to fostering inclusive environments. J. L. believes that diverse voices and perspectives enrich the world.
Spiritual tags
Other tags
Lyricist Background information
As a member of the U2C3, Unitarian Universalist Church of Corpus Christi, TX, poet J. L. Wright (she/they/thon) believes that “the future is not written in stone; it is spoken into existence—word by word, sentence by sentence.” Wright is committed to fostering inclusive environments. J. L. believes that diverse voices and perspectives enrich the world.
Arranger Background information
Arranger Website LinkLyrics
When I behold the wide and living cosmos,
The turning earth, the sky’s unfolding art,
In wind and flame, in ocean’s restless breathing,
I feel the pulse that stirs the human heart.
Then sing our souls in awe and grateful wonder,
How vast the web that holds us all.
Then sings our souls in awe and grateful wonder,
How vast the web that holds us all.
When through the woods I roam in quiet splendor
And hear the birds greet morning’s gentle light,
I sense the truth no single creed can capture:
All things belong within this greater life.
Then sing our souls in awe and grateful wonder,
How vast the web that holds us all.
Then sing our souls in awe and grateful wonder,
How vast the web that holds us all.
When we find strength through justice and through kindness,
When love resists the fear that would divide,
The human spirit grows in hope and courage
And lifts the dream of dignity worldwide.
Then sing our souls in awe and grateful wonder,
How vast the web that holds us all.
Then sing our souls in awe and grateful wonder,
How vast the web that holds us all.
And when at last our brief and shining journeys
Return their gifts to earth and sky and sea,
The love we shared will echo through the ages,
A living thread in truth and harmony.
Then sing our souls in awe and grateful wonder,
How vast the web that holds us all.
Then sing our souls in awe and grateful wonder,
How vast the web that holds us all.
Resources
Music XML and MEI and MIDI and Musescore files
Slides
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