In the beginning, at the dawn of time

The 4th hymn of the group on ‘Christian citizenship’ reminds us that all 7 texts are from the late 20th c. Not that earlier generations were unconcerned for the issues touched on here; but new factors require new expressions in praise and prayer. Andrew King’s contribution follows a path similar to his 912: it arose at Haywards Heath from the same sermon series on Genesis, featured in Praises for the King of Kings (1994), and is first published here in a slightly revised form. The author says that it ‘is an attempt to gather into one text the creation order, the fall, our present responsibility and our future hope as they relate to our relationships within the human family.’ The image of God, he says, is marred (2.3) by the Fall rather than lost; and the same stanza suggests Wordsworth: ‘… but trailing clouds of glory do we come/ from God, who is our home’ (Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood). Andrew King makes no pretensions to rival the poet; ‘I hope, however, that the theology is less mystical and more robust by simply being biblical’. For ‘the unborn life’ of 3.3, see also 955 and 957.

The author wrote with ELLERS in mind (224; other suggestions are 301 or 524). Peter White’s tune BEACON HILL is repeated from 594.

b Wroughton nr Swindon, Wilts 1961. Raised in the Gospel Standard Strict Baptist tradition in a family circle familiar with its classic hymns; converted at Caterham Baptist Ch in 1971, where he grew to love a fuller range of hymnody. Studied at Dulwich Coll, Sussex Univ (BSc Biology 1982). After working as a sausage salesman with the Walls Meat Company and as a food technologist with Hygrade Foods in Peckham, he assisted the Minister at Grove Chapel, Camberwell, while studying at the London Theological Seminary 1986–88. Pastor/teacher at Haywards Heath Evangelical Free Church in Sussex 1988–2000; where he edited (with others) the words-only hymnal Praises for the King of Kings (see no.12, note) for which he contributed several texts. Enjoyed writing from his youth up, and wrote some 35 texts at Haywards Heath after his first, a version of Ps 2 written at Camberwell soon after his marriage to Cora. For a time he was a member of the modern songs team for Praise! From 2000 he worked in Brazil as a Bible teacher and preacher with UFM Worldwide (the Unevangelised Fields Mission), with a roving commission to train, teach and encourage others in biblical exposition, based on his home in Florianópolis. He returned to England in 2008 and currently (2011) works as a kitchen sales consultant, also running a photography business. His texts have also been published in Australia and New Zealand, with one each in Sing Glory (1999) and the 2004 CH. Nos.12, 306, 598, 631, 686, 795*, 912, 923.