Creator of the Earth and Skies

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1. Creator of the earth and skies, To whom all truth and power belong, Grant us your truth to make us wise; Grant us your power to make us strong.

2. We have not known you: to the skies Our monuments of folly soar, And all our self-wrought miseries Have made us trust ourselves the more.

3. We have not loved you: far and wide The wreckage of our hatred spreads, And evils wrought by human pride Recoil on unrepentant heads.

4. We long to end this worldwide strife: How shall we follow in your way? Speak to mankind your words of life, Until our darkness turns to day.

Words by: Donald Hughes
Music by: Jeremiah Clark

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Story of the hymn Creator of the Earth and Skies

The hymn opens with a direct address to the Creator, acknowledging God as the source of truth and power. The remaining stanzas turn toward confession and lament, naming humanity’s self‑reliance, pride, and the destructive consequences of sin. The text moves from praise to repentance to longing for renewal, ending with a plea for God’s word to break through human darkness.

This structure reflects the prophetic tone of mid‑century hymnody: honest about human failure, hopeful about divine intervention, and grounded in biblical imagery.

The hymn is commonly paired with the tune St. Clement by Jeremiah Clarke, a gentle and contemplative melody that supports the text’s blend of praise and penitence. It appears in several late‑twentieth‑century hymnals, including The United Methodist Hymnal (No. 450), where it functions well as an opening hymn or as part of services focused on repentance, creation, or social responsibility.

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