This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
The earth is the Lord's
The earth is the Lord's
The earth is the Lord's and ev'rything in it;
the whole of the world and the people and all:
He founded the earth on depths of the oceans,
and all of the world is at his beck and call.
Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may go up to his holy place?
Who has a heart of love and pureness?
Who will not fear confusion of face?
The man who has never worshipped an idol,
the woman whose lips never told any lie,
the ones who are pure and blameless and righteous:
the perfect of men who deserve not to die!
I can't ascend the hill of the Lord!
I can't go up to his holy place!
I have no heart of love and pureness!
I warrant death, confusion of face!
O off with your chains, you gates that are ancient!
Unlock every padlock, undo every bolt!
O stretch wide your hinges: here comes the blameless!
The crowds shout "Hosanna!", he rides on a colt.
He may ascend the hill of the Lord!
He may go up to his holy place!
He has a heart of love and pureness!
He comes to make a highway of grace!
So who is the king so mighty in battle,
and who is the king who is faithful and true?
And who is the king who rescues his people?
Go on, take a guess! He is Jesus! That's who!
Words and tune copyright © John Hartley 2007.
Based on Psalm 24 (interpreted in the light of Palm Sunday).
Story behind the song
Psalm 24 is a well-known psalm, but the connection between the two halves of it has often puzzled me, and it was a long time before I saw its logic. The question "Who may go up?" gets the answer "The one who is perfect." Is the Israelite singer of those days perfect in this way? Is the Christian singer of nowadays? Obviously not. So the first part of the psalm invites the singer to admit that without other factors, we cannot ascend God's Holy Hill.
So the second part of the psalm must be asking the question: "If we are not worthy to go up - who is?" Who is the "king", mighty in battle, who is worthy to ascend? Clearly only one such person has ever been worthy. And the psalm invites the gates of God's Holy City, gateway to God's Holy Hill, to swing open for him - as they did when he came on Palm Sunday.
I have therefore interpreted the psalm as saying that only Jesus can ascend God's Holy Hill. Guess who the psalm is all about? It's all about Jesus - that's who!
John Hartley.
Windows Media Player. When you click the left-hand "play" button your computer should have started to play the tune. If it didn't, you might be able to get the tune by clicking here, or by right-clicking the link, choosing "save target as", saving it onto your computer, and then opening it with a music-playing program.
Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.