We are your soil

Who are we?—Lord, we are yours! We are marked forevermore
By the cross and by the word. In our hearts we’ve been stirred.
Darkness round us, still we sing; To the promise still we cling.
Waiting for the coming dawn; Solid rock turned to song.

We are good soil; we are your soil.
Sow your justice / In Christ’s body still today!
Let compassion fill our lives, Lord.
Rocks and stones, now, / Sing hosanna to our God!

Who are we?—Lord, we are yours! We were baptized at the font,
Water splashing on our face, Marked forever by grace.
Gay and straight, we sing your praise. Bi and trans, our voices raise.
To the feast you bid us dine; Welcome bread, welcome wine.

We are good soil; we are your soil.
Sow your justice / In Christ’s body still today!
Let compassion fill our lives, Lord.
Rocks and stones, now, / Sing hosanna to our God!

Text: David R. Weiss, b. 1959 (text, 2005, © 2008 David R. Weiss)
Tune: Per Harling, b. 1945, DU ÄR HELIG, (You are Holy, Evangelical Lutheran Worship 525 © 1990 Per Harling, admin. Augsburg Fortress)

Permission is given to photocopy We are your soil for use in worship.

Author’s Note: We are Your Soil was written for the Goodsoil worship at the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Orlando. The theme of the Assembly was “Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever”; hence the use of that image here. Also, I draw on the image of “Goodsoil” (the name taken by the alliance of groups working to promote full participation for GLBT people in the ELCA), specifically naming “gay and straight” and “bi and trans” as the “good soil” in which God sows seeds still today. And I ironically invoke the image of “Solid Rock,” the name taken by those opposing full participation, suggesting that ultimately even this solid rock will sing hosanna at Christ’s coming. This hymn uses a newer fast-paced tune, “Du Är Helig” (“You are holy”) by Per Harling that appears in the new Lutheran hymnal.