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.
Magazine item
on this song
(to appear).
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
The tree
The growth of a tree
The seed falls in the earth:
planting a living tree.
So Lord, give me new birth,
embed your Holy Spirit firm in me.
The tiny shoots appear,
reaching towards the sun.
So Lord, drive out my fear:
with Christ within, I've strength to overcome.
Just like a tree
planted by the waterside,
strong and free:
I shall not be moved
if you abide
in me
The roots push through the soil,
seeking the moisture's flow.
So Lord, make me to toil
and learn your word of truth that I may grow.
The blossom blooms in spring:
colours emerge from green.
So Lord, help me to sing
your praises, so your glory might be seen.
Just like a tree
planted by the waterside,
strong and free:
I shall not be moved
if you abide
in me
The tree gives shade and space,
birds come and build a nest.
So Lord, give me your grace:
to bring your love to those who need your rest.
Words copyright © John Hartley 2005.
Thanks to Steve Goad, Lilo Arboleda, Mike Damrow, Dave Eden, and August Mosco for help with the words.
Music copyright © Darren Garfield and John Hartley 2004.
Story behind the song
I wrote the words of this song when a colleague asked if anyone knew any songs about plants and trees and growing things which weren't part of the traditional "harvest" range of hymns? So I wondered about putting Jesus' parable "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." (Matthew 13:31-32). Originally I called the song "The seed."
Darren Garfield had written the tune for me as a favour, for an earlier lyric; but at that time I had felt it didn't really fit the mood and had written a different tune myself. So I had been looking for an opportunity to write some words to the tune. The rising scale of the first and third lines suggested something growing, and that's why I picked this theme for words to go to his tune.
The song was posted on the Christian Songwriting Organisation e-mail list for critiques, and I'd like to acknowledge the help which the members gave me with revising the words. It was strongly suggested that I should write a refrain to tie the verses together, but until August Mosco pointed out that the whole song was really about the tree rather than the seed, I couldn't see how this could be done. Then the chorus (from Psalm 1) clicked into place, and I added the tune of the chorus to Darren's original. August's remark also helped me to unify a couple of other mismatches in the song - in particular that I was really writing about blossom rather than garden flowers in verse 4.
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.