We All Gather Here (website only)

In the beauty of this place,
We all gather here.
The olive branch and dove,
The rainbow we share,
Are symbols of God’s love,
In worship, song and prayer.
In the beauty of this place,
We are united here. 

In the beauty of this place,
We all unite here.
Open minds, loving hearts
God’s family, drawn near.
Lives shared, made strong by love,
We celebrate and care.
In the beauty of this place,
We are all held here. 

In the beauty of this place,
We are all held here.
Gathered now, as one
In fellowship, where
We take the bread and cup
In worship we all share.
In the beauty of this place,
We all belong here.  

In the beauty of this place,
We all belong here.
We love and understand
Live freely, no fear.
Differences we celebrate,
God’s diversity we share.
In the beauty of this place,
We all gather here. 

Words: © R. Carl Goulding, 2022

Tune: Gower United – download as a PDF (named for Gower Street United Church, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, where Carl is currently organist)

Metre: Irregular
 

Ideas for use

Most obviously, the ‘place’ that is the focus of this hymn may be our church or gathering building. However, the symbols that Carl writes of (‘the olive branch and dove, / the rainbow we share’) evoke spaces beyond church walls. The hymn would work well as a gathering hymn for outdoor worship, especially when communion is being shared. What is more important than any building structure is the experience of unity, belonging and being held by God’s love when we gather together for Christian worship.   

One member of the StF hymn submissions group was speaking from personal experience of her own local church when she commented on the idea of being held (“safety”?) as being very pertinent for Ukrainian refugees worshipping in UK churches. There is a sense of comfort that flows through the hymn. 

More information

Carl’s hymn is striking for its thought-provoking circular structure, in which one verse leads to another, and the concludes by taking us back to the beginning: “In the beauty of this place, / We all gather here.” The hymn leads us on a journey that doesn’t have an ending. We are invited to return to the beginning of our gathering and reflect repeatedly on what it means to be “God’s family, drawn near”. 

The tune, Gower United, underpins this feeling with its repeated rhythm. 

Raymond Carl Goulding is a retired music teacher, from the city of Mount Pearl in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. In 1988, Carl established the Etcetera Concert Series, an ongoing annual event, showcasing talented young people, and he is the founder of the International Threnody Peace Education Project, with a mandate to perform music of peace and remembrance as its primary focus. This peace education project, established in 2002, has featured many young performers involved in the project, sharing music of peace and remembrance in places of historical significance in Japan, Russia, England, France, Belgium, Ireland, Finland, Austria and at The Peace Palace in The Hague. An organist and choir director of note, Carl is a recipient of the Canadian National Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.