ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

Refrain

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings. Refrain

The purple-headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning
That brightens up the sky. Refrain

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one. Refrain

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day. Refrain

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well. Refrain

About the writer: Cecil Frances Alexander was born in Ireland in 1823. In 1850 she married Reverend William Alexander, Bishop of Derry. She was the author of several books of poetry. Among them were: Verses for Holy Seasons, 1846; Hymns for Little Children, 1848; Hymns Descriptive and Devotional, 1858; and The Legend of the Golden Prayers, 1859. She died in 1895.

Key Verse: Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way. This all happened on the sixth day. –Genesis 1:31

Alexander of Alexandria

Alexander of Alexandria (d. 328) defended orthodoxy against the heresy of Arianism. He called the synod in Alexandria where Arius, who believed that Jesus was a created being not fully equal with the Father, was condemned. After Alexander’s death, he was succeeded by the great Athanasius as bishop of Alexandria. He fought to preserve orthodoxy against Arianism, a very popular and widely preached heresy.