Above: Suffused Light at Dawn

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1878) by Marianne Hearn (1834-1909)

Hymn Source = Worship and Song (1921), National Council of Congregational Churches

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Father most merciful!  Glad in the dawning

All things awake to sing praises to thee;

Thou art the giver of joy in the morning,

Spreading thy sunlight o’er meadow and sea.

+++++

Bright birds soar up in the thin air to greet thee,

Sweet-scented blossoms look forth for thy face;

Thy children go out into daylight to meet thee,

Finding thy footprints in every new place.

+++++

Father most merciful, give for our guerdon

Joy in thy presence whate’er may befall,

Courage to fight, or to carry the burden,

Faith to be cheerful and quiet through all.

Above:  Starry Night

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England

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God, that madest earth and heaven,

Darkness and light;

Who the day for toil has given,

For rest the night;

May thine Angel-guards defend us,

Slumber sweet thy mercy send us,

Holy dreams and hopes attend us,

This livelong night.

+++++

Guard us waking, guard us sleeping;

And, when we die,

May we in thy mighty keeping

All peaceful lie:

When the last dread call shall wake us,

Do not thou our God forsake us,

But to reign in glory take us

With thee on high.

Above:  Sunset in the Philippines

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1865) by the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924), for a Sunday School festival at Horbury Bridge, Yorkshire, England

Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England

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Now the day is over,

Night is drawing nigh,

Shadows of the evening

Steal across the sky.

+++++

Now the darkness gathers,

Stars begin to peep,

Birds and beasts and flowers

Soon will be asleep.

+++++

Jesu, give the weary

Calm and sweet repose;

With thy tenderest blessing

May our eyelids close.

+++++

Grant to little children

Visions bright of thee;

Guard the sailors tossing

On the deep blue sea.

+++++

Comfort every sufferer

Watching late in pain;

Those who plan some evil

From their sin restrain.

+++++

Through the long night watches

May thine Angels spread

Their white wings above me,

Watching round my bed.

+++++

When the morning wakens,

Then may I arise

Pure, and fresh, and sinless

In thy holy eyes.

+++++

Glory to the Father,

Glory to the Son,

And to thee, blest Spirit,

Whilst all ages run.

Above:  Dark Night

Image in the Public Domain

Original German Text (1566) by Petrus Herbert (1530-1571)

English Translation (1863) by Catherine Winkworth (1829-1878)

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) (1923), Moravian Church in America

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Now God be with us, for the night is closing,

The light and darkness are of His disposing;

And ‘neath His shadow here to rest we yield us,

For He will shield us.

+++++

Let evil thoughts and spirits flee before us;

Till morning cometh, watch, O Master, o’er us;

In soul and body Thou from harm defend us,

Thine angels send us.

+++++

Let holy thoughts be ours when sleep o’ertakes us;

Our earliest thoughts be Thine when morning wakes us;

All sick and mourners, we to Thee commend them,

Do Thou befriend them.

+++++

We have no refuge, none on earth to aid us,

Save Thee, O Father, Who Thine own hast made us;

But Thy dear presence will not leave them lonely,

Who seek Thee only.

+++++

Father, Thy Name be praised, Thy kingdom given,

Thy will be done on earth as ’tis in heaven;

Keep us in life, forgive our sins, deliver

Us now and ever.

Above:  Corn Field in Colorado

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England

Text (1851) by John Hampden Gurney (1802-1862)

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Fair waved the golden corn

In Canaan’s pleasant land,

When full of joy, some shining morn,

Went forth the reaper-band.

+++++

To God so good and great

Their cheerful thanks they pour;

Then carry to his temple-gate

The choicest of their store.

+++++

Like Israel, Lord, we give

Our earliest fruits to thee,

And pray that, long as we shall live,

We may thy children be.

+++++

Thine is our youthful prime,

And life and all its powers;

Be with us in our morning time,

And bless our evening hours.

+++++

In wisdom let us grow,

As years and strength are given,

That we may serve thy Church below,

And join thy Saints in heaven.

Above:  Mountain Morning

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1829) by Harriet Auber (1773-1862)

Hymn Source = A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (1830), American Unitarian Association

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Delightful is the task to sing,

On each returning day,

The praises of our heavenly King,

And grateful homage pay.

+++++

The countless worlds, which, bathed in light,

Through fields of azure move,

Proclaim his wisdom and his might,

But O, how great his love!

+++++

He deigns each broken, contrite heart

With tender care to bind;

And comfort, hope and grace impart

To heal the wounded mind.

+++++

All creatures with distinctive cry,

From God implore their food;

His bounty grants a rich supply,

And fills the earth with good.

+++++

Delightful is the task, O Lord!

With each returning day

Thy countless music to record

And grateful homage pay.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Holy Family, Jasper, Georgia, June 21, 2015

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Original German Text (1700) by Caspar Neumann (1648-1715)

English Translation (1880) by Conrad Hermann Louis Schuette (1843-1926)

Hymn Source = Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal (1908), Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States (1818-1930)

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God of ages, great and mighty!

Who upholdest heaven and earth;

By whose truth and tender mercy

I have been led on from birth,

Night and sleep now pass away–

Welcome be Thy holy day.

+++++

For this day so fair and holy,

Be Thou by my spirit blest,

Through Thy word still nearer heaven

Guide my spirit toward its rest:

Than the work of praise and prayer

Let me know no higher care.

+++++

O the beauty of Thy service!

O the sweetness of Thy Word!

Sweeter far than honey gathered

From the flower by bee or bird:

Blessed all, who day and night

Make Thy word their chief delight.

+++++

O my God, speak Thou Amen!

For we are Thy chosen own;

Be Thy praise by all exalted,

And Thy glorious name made known,

Till for aye we may, through grace,

See and serve Thee face to face.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Above:  Lake in Dawn Time

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1863) by Greville Phillimore (1821-1884)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal (1911), Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

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O God, before Thy sun’s bright beams

All night’s dark and shadows fly;

So on the soul Thy mercy gleams,

And doubts and terrors die.

+++++

So freshly falls Thy heaven-sent grace

As morning’s gladdening breath;

Gives light to all to seek Thy face,

And guides in life and death.

+++++

O holy light! O light of God!

O light unseen below,

Which fills the courts of Thine abode,

Which there the blest shall know!

+++++

Swift comes the hour when none can toil,

Short is the rugged way:

Teach us to fill our lamps with oil,

Whilst it is called to-day.

+++++

Then we shall see that glorious light

Which to the saints is given,

So sweet, so fair, so passing bright,

The eternal morn of heaven.

+++++

O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

O holy One in Three,

Grant us, with all Thy glorious host,

To share that morn with Thee.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Above:  Early Morning

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1863) by Greville Phillimore (1821-1884), altered

Hymn Source = The Pilgrim Hymnal (1931/1935), Congregational Christian Churches

This is among Phillimore’s most popular hymns, based on frequency of publication in hymnals.   All instances of the hymn in hymnals, to the best of my knowledge, are of a slightly altered version of the text, for the original text, as in In Memoriam (1884), begins:

Every morning they are new,

Fresh as falls the early dew;….

 The altered version is clearer.  Some hymnals (especially those of Presbyterian denominations) note the alteration of the first two lines.

My choice to quote the text from The Pilgrim Hymnal (1931/1935) is purely arbitrary.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ev’ry morning mercies new

Fall as fresh as morning dew;

Ev’ry morning let us pay

Tribute with the early day;

For thy mercies, Lord, are sure,

Thy compassion doth endure.

+++++

Still the greatness of thy love,

Daily doth our sins remove,

Daily, far as east from west,

Lifts the burden from the breast,

Gives unbo’t, to those who pray,

Strength to stand in evil day.

+++++

Let our pray’rs each morn prevail,

That these gifts may never fail;

And, as we confess the sin

And the tempter’s power within,

Ev’ry morning, for the strife,

Feed us with the bread of life.

+++++

As the morning light returns,

As the sun with splendor burns,

Teach us still to turn to thee,

Ever blessed Trinity,

With our hands our hearts to raise,

In unfailing pray’r and praise.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Above:  Sunrise Over the Ocean

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = Church Hymns with Tunes (1900), The Church of England

Text by Greville Philimore (1821-1884)

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The star of morn has risen;

O Lord, to Thee we pray:

O uncreated Light of Light,

Guide Thou our way.

+++++

Sinless, be Tongue and hand,

And innocent the mind,

Let simple truth be on our lips,

Our hearts be kind.

+++++

Let not the flesh prevail,

But all be ruled by good;

The gift of temperance bestow

In drink and food.

+++++

As the swift day rolls on,

Still, Lord, our Guardian be,

And keep the portals of our hearts

From evil free.

+++++

Grant that our daily toil

May to Thy glory tend;

And as our hours begin with Thee,

So may they end.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++