Hymn #181: You Are Salt for the Earth, O People

Marty Haugen (b. 1950) based this text on Matthew 5:13-15, the passage that immediately follows the Beatitudes in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The first and second stanzas are paraphrases of the text, while the third and fourth are Haugen’s original reflections on the passage.

Marty Haugen has composed and recorded a new communion service for use by Lutheran congregations called Now the Feast and Celebration. His ecumenical work is demonstrated by his contributions to the Book of Worship for the Canadian Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church in England.

Marty Haugen wrote the tune BRING FORTH for his own words. The tune’s name indicates the processional nature of the music. He wrote it at the Holden Village Retreat Center in Chelan, Washington, for use during outdoor worship.

Marty Haugen has traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Central America teaching, leading workshops, and presenting concerts of his music. He has published more than two hundred pieces of religious music for a wide variety of settings.