Above:  St. David’s Episcopal Church, Roswell, Georgia, May 3, 2015

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

Original Czech Text (1457) by Matthias of Kunwald (died 1500) or Original Czech Text (1467) by Gabriel Komarovsky

German Translation (1531) by Michael Weisse (1480-1534)

English Translation (1911) by Evelyn Renatus Hasse (1855-1918)

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1.  Come, let us all with gladness raise

A joyous song of thanks and praise

To Him who rules the heavenly host,

God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

2.  For He, in grace and tenderness,

Regarded us in our distress;

Yea, to our aid Himself He came;

Let all adore His holy Name.

3.  He gave us faithful men to lead

And help us in our time of need;

But, Lord, all power is Thine alone,

And Thou the work must carry on.

4.  Father in heaven, fulfill Thy word;

Grant us the Spirit of our Lord,

That through Thy truth, which cannot fail,

We may o’er every ill prevail.

5.  And in Thy love may we abide,

Estranged from none by wrath or pride;

Among ourselves at unity

And with all else in charity.

6.  Thus may our lips Thy praises sound,

Our hearts in steadfast hope abound;

Till Thou our steps shalt thither bring

Where saints and angels hail Thee King.

Above:  Christ Pantocrator

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

Original German Text (1531) by Michael Weisse (1480-1534)

English Translation (1966) by Ewald Valentin Nolte (1909-1991)

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O Jesus Christ, our gracious King,

Our praise and thanks to Thee we bring.

Look with favor on our offering,

In Thy mercy.

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Cartersville, Georgia, May 10, 2015

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Original Czech Text by John Augusta (1500-1572), a bishop of the Moravian Church who spent 1548-1564 as a political prisoner falsely accused of leading a rebellion he actually had opposed

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

Anonymous English Translation

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1.  How blest and lovely Thy earthly dwellings are,

Wherein assemble Thy Christian people dear,

O God our Lord, Thy praises to record.

2.  One day is better, if spent Thy courts within,

Than thousand others of pleasurable sin;

Thy holy will, oh help us to fulfill.

3.  Preserve for ever our sacred liberty,

As conscience prompts us, to meet and worship Thee,

To thank and praise Thee for Thy word of grace.

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Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

English Translation (1966) by Ewald Valentin Nolte (1909-1991)

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1.  O Lord, how lovely

Are Thy habitations,

Where Thy holy

People of all nations

Praise Thee,

Songs eternal raise Thee.

2.  Each day before Thee

Is a wondrous blessing.

We implore Thee

Keep us from transgressing.

Guide us,

Be Thou e’er beside us.

3.  Help us defend our

Freedom to assemble;

Lord, attend our

Prayer within Thy temple.

May we

Through Thy Word obey Thee.

4.  Dear Lord, accept us,

For we trust Thee solely.

Thou hast kept us

In Thy presence holy.

Saviour,

Thine we are forever.

Above:  Part of the Beginning of the Latin Mass

Image Source = The CTS New Sunday Missal:  People’s Edition with the New Translation of the Mass (London, England, UK:  Catholic Truth Society, 2011), page 534

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Traditional Latin Text, circa 1100 (if not earlier)

Anonymous German Translation (circa 1541)

English Translation (1939) by William Gustave Polack (1890-1950)

Hymn Source = The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America

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Kyrie, God Father in heav’n above,

Great art Thou in grace and love,

Of all things the Maker and Preserver.

Eleison, eleison!

Kyrie, O Christ, our King,

Salvation for sinners Thou didst bring.

O Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,

Our Mediator at the heav’nly throne,

Hear our cry and grant our supplication.

Eleison, eleison!

Kyrie, O God the Holy Ghost,

Guard our faith, the gift we need the most;

Do Thou our last hour bless;

Let us leave this sinful world with gladness.

Eleison, eleison!

Above:  Procession at the Ordination of Deacons, August 6, 2011, Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

(https://picasaweb.google.com/114749828757741527421/DeaconOrdination#5638515871829723154)

Original Latin words from the 800s C.E.; English translation by Maxwell Julius Blacker (1822-1888), a priest of The Church of England

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1982, of The Episcopal Church

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1.  Only begotten, Word of God eternal,

Lord of creation, merciful and mighty,

hear now thy servants when their joyful voices rise to thy presence.

2.  This is thy temple; here thy presence-chamber;

here may thy servants, at the mystic banquet,

humbly adoring, take thy Body broken, drink of thy chalice.

3.  Here in our sickness healing grace aboundeth,

light in our blindness, in our toil refreshment:

sin is forgiven, hope o’er fear prevaileth, joy over sorrow.

4.  Hallowed this dwelling where the LORD abideth,

this is none other than the gate of heaven;

strangers and pilgrims, seeking homes eternal, pass through its portals.

5.  Lord, we beseech thee, as we throng thy temple,

by thy past blessings, by the present bounty,

favor thy children, and with tender mercy hear our petitions.

6.  God in three Persons, Father everlasting,

Son coeternal, everblessed Spirit,

thine be the glory, praise and adoration, now and forever.

Church of the Beatitudes, on the Shore of the Sea of Galilee

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1982, of The Episcopal Church

A Russian Orthodox Chant

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Remember your servants, Lord, when you come into your kingly power.

Blessed are the poor in spirit;

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn;

for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek;

for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness;

for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful;

for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the peacemakers;

for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake;

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when the world reviles you and persecutes you;

and utters all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

Rejoice and be exceeding glad;

for great is your reward in heaven.

Remember your servants, Lord, when you come in your kingly power.

Christ in Majesty

Image Source = Wikipedia

Farewell, my children of love and peace.  May the Lord of glory and all grace be with your spirit.

–The Epistle of Barnabas

Written 70-200 Common Era

Translated by Maxwell Staniforth and Andrew Louth

Printed in Early Christian Writings:  The Apostolic Fathers (Penguin Books, 1987)