Above:  Dawn on a River

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source #1 = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

Hymn Source #2 = Moravian Book of Worship (1995), Moravian Church in America

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Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, offers a different translation, the first words of which are “Rise, O Sun of Righteousness.”

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The Moravian Book of Worship (1995) contains an altered translation, which begins:

Sun of righteousness, arise;

dawn upon our clouded skies;….

C. Daniel Crews (1947-) and Roy Ledbetter (1949-) prepared their translation in 1977.  Crews revised it in 1994.

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The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971) contains the first four stanzas.  The Moravian Book of Worship (1995) contains the fifth stanza.

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Stanza #1 by Christian David (1690-1751); Translated by Jay Macpherson (1931-2012)

Stanzas #2 and 4 by Christian Gottlob Barth (1799-1862); Translated by Jay Macpherson (1931-2012)

Stanza #3 by Johann Christian Nehring (1671-1736); Translated by Jay Macpherson (1931-2012)

Stanza #5 by Johann Christian Nehring (1671-1736); Translated by C. Daniel Crews (1947-) and Roy Ledbetter (1949-)

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1.  Sun of righteousness, shine forth;

dawn upon this age of earth;

in thy church let light appear,

till the world shall see it clear.

Have mercy, Lord.

2.  Wake dead Christendom from sleep,

lapped in comfort, drowsing deep;

tell thy name and acts abroad;

show this land thou art God.

Have mercy, Lord.

3.  See our sad divisions, Lord;

heal by thy unbroken word;

gather, shepherd of mankind,

all the lost, the hurt, the blind.

Have mercy, Lord.

4.  Help us to behold afar

in this age thy glory’s star,

that, in what small strength we own,

knightly virtue may be show.

Have mercy, Lord.

5.  Glory, praise, and royal might

to our God of endless light,

who is perfect, three in one,

and unites us in the Son:

have mercy, Lord.

Above:  St. Clement’s Episcopal Church, Canton, Georgia, September 20, 2009

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Original German Words (1671) by Johann(es) Olearius (1635-1711)

English Translation (1880) by Matthias Loy (1828-1915)

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

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1.  Lord, open Thou my heart to hear

And through Thy Word to me draw near;

Let me Thy Word e’er pure retain,

Let me Thy child and heir remain.

2.  Thy Word doth deeply move the heart,

Thy Word doth perfect health impart,

Thy Word my soul with joy doth bless,

Thy Word brings peace and happiness.

3.  To God the Father, God the Son,

And God the Spirit, Three in One,

Shall glory, praise, and honor be

Now and throughout eternity.

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Holy Family, Jasper, Georgia, January 8, 2015

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Original German Words (1666) by Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676)

English Translation (1857) by Richard Massie (1800-1887)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal (1941), Evangelical and Reformed Church

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1.  Evening and morning,

Sunset and dawning,

Wealth, peace, and gladness,

Comfort in sadness,

These are Thy works; all the glory be Thine!

Times without number,

Awake or in slumber,

Thou dost observe us,

From danger preserve us,

Causing Thy mercy upon us to shine.

2.  Father, O hear me;

Pardon and spare me;

Calm all my terrors,

Blot out my errors,

That by Thine eyes they may no more be scanned.

Order my goings;

Direct all my doings;

As it may please Thee,

Retain or release me;

All I commit to Thy Fatherly hand.

3.  Griefs of God’s sending

Soon have an ending;

Clouds may be pouring,

Wind and wave roaring,

Sunshine will come when the tempest has past.

Joys still increasing,

And peace never ceasing,

Fountains that dry not,

And roses that die not,

Blooming in Eden, await me at last.

Above:  Cross and Crown

Image in the Public Domain

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

Original German Words (1653) by Sigismund von Birken (1626-1681)

English Translation (1900), altered slightly for The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), by J. Adam Rimbach (1871-1941)

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1.  Let us ever walk with Jesus,

Follow His example pure,

Flee the world, which would deceive us

And to sin our souls allure.

Ever in His footsteps treading,

Body here, yet soul above,

Full of faith and hope and love,

Let us do the Father’s bidding.

Faithful Lord, abide with me;

Saviour, lead, I follow Thee.

2.  Let us suffer here with Jesus,

To His image e’er conform;

Heaven’s glory soon will please us,

Sunshine follow on the storm.

Tho’ we sow in tears of sorrow,

We shall reap in heav’nly joy;

And the fears that now annoy

Shall be laughter on the morrow.

Christ, I suffer here with Thee;

There, oh, share Thy joy with me!

3.  Let us also die with Jesus.

His death from the second death,

From our soul’s destruction, frees us,

Quickens us with life’s glad breath.

Let us mortify, while living,

Flesh and blood and die to sin;

And the grave that shuts us in

Shall but prove the gate to heaven.

Jesus, here I die to Thee

There to live eternally.

4.  Let us gladly live with Jesus;

Since He’s risen from the dead,

Death and grave must soon release us.

Jesus, Thou art now our Head,

We are truly Thine own members;

Where Thou livest, there live we.

Take and own us constantly,

Faithful Friend, as Thy dear brethren.

Jesus, here I live to Thee,

Also there eternally.

Above:  The Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia, January 23, 2014

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Original Danish Words by Thomas Hansen Kingo (1634-1703)

English Translation by Ole T. (Sanden) Arneson (1853-1917)

Hymn Source = Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (1996), Evangelical Lutheran Synod

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1.  How fair the Church of Christ shall stand,

A beacon in all the land,

When love and faith all hearts inspire,

And all unite in one desire

To be a fam’ly and agree

To live in peace and unity.

2.  ‘Tis all vain that you profess

The doctrines of the Church, unless

You live according to your creed,

And show your faith by word and deed.

Observe the rule:  To others do

As you would have them do to you.

3.  Resentment, hate, and cruel jest,

Must not be harbored in the breast

Where love and charity should dwell;

Then think and speak of others well,

Refrain from all that causes strife

And mars a truly Christian life.

4.  So let your tongue, your heart, and mind

Agree to banish ev’ry kind

Of malice, falsehood, and disguise,

And here on earth a paradise

Of peace and harmony maintain,

Where concord and good will shall reign.

5.  For God observes our thoughts and deeds,

The secrets of our heart He reads;

The wicked cannot be concealed,

Their evil ways shall be revealed,

He ev’ry true believer knows,

And love and grace on him bestows.

6.  My soul, be therefore of good cheer,

Though sinners threaten, scoff, and sneer,

Serenely on your way proceed,

Nor worldly strife and clamor heed,

For Jesus’ sake the cross you bear,

And soon with Him the crown shall wear.

7.  O gracious God, wilt Thou my heart

So fashion in each secret part,

That Thou be sanctified in me,

Till Thee in heav’n above I see,

Where holy, holy, holy Lord,

We sing to Thee with one accord.

Above:  St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, Hamilton, Georgia, November 2, 2014

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Original German Words (1667) by Tobias Clausnitzer (1619-1684)

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English Translation (1858) by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

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

1.  Blessed Jesus, at Thy word

We are gathered all to hear Thee;

Let our hearts and souls be stirred

Now to seek and love and fear Thee,

By Thy teachings, sweet and holy,

Drawn from earth to love Thee solely.

2.  All our knowledge, sense, and sight

Lie in deepest darkness shrouded

Till Thy Spirit breaks our night

With the beams of truth unclouded.

Thou alone to God canst win us;

Thou must work all good within us.

3.  Glorious Lord, Thyself impart,

Light of Light, from God proceeding;

Open Thou our ears and heart,

Help us by Thy Spirit’s pleading;

Hear the cry Thy people raises,

Hear and bless our prayers and praises.

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English Translation (no later than 1927) by Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister (1870-1950)

Hymn Source = The Church Hymnary (1927), Presbyterian

1.  Look upon us, blessed Lord,

Take our wandering thoughts and guide us:

We ave come to hear Thy word:

With Thy teaching now provide us,

That, from earth’s distractions turning,

We Thy message may be learning.

2.  For Thy Spirit’s radiance bright

We, assembled here, are hoping:

If Thou shouldst withhold the light,

If the dark our souls were groping:

In word, deed, and thought direct us:

Thou, none other, canst direct us.

3.  Brightness of the Father’s face,

Light of Light, from God proceeding,

Make us ready in this place:

Ear and heart await Thy leading.

In our study, prayers, and praising,

May our souls find their upraising.

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Above:  Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Decatur, Georgia, April 22, 2012

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1982, of The Episcopal Church

Words by John Dryden (1631-1700), who translated them from the Latin Veni Creator Spiritus text

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1.  Creator Spirit, by whose aid

the world’s foundations first were laid,

visit every humble mind,

pour thy joys on humankind;

from sin and sorrow set us free,

and make thy temples worthy thee.

2.  O Source of uncreated light,

the Father’s promised Paraclete,

thrice holy Fount, thrice holy Fire,

our hearts with heavenly love inspire;

come, and thy sacred unction bring

to sanctify us while we sing.

3.  Plenteous of grace, come from on high,

rich in thy sevenfold energy;

make us eternal truth receive,

and practice all that we believe;

give us thyself, that we may see

the Father and the Son by thee.

Above:  The Sun

Image Source = Lykaestria

Hymn Source = Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Words by Johann Heermann (1585-1647)

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1.  O Christ, our light, O Radiance true,

shine forth on those estranged from you,

and bring them to your home agan,

where their delight shall never end.

2.  Fill with the radiance of your grace

the wand’rers lost in error’s maze.

Set free all those whose hearts and minds

some deep delusion haunts and binds.

3.  Lord, open all reluctant ears

and take away the needless fears

of those who tremble to express

the faith their inmost hearts confess.

4.  Lord, let your mercy’s gentile ray

shine down on others strayed away.

To those in conscience wounded sore

show heaven’s waiting, open door.

5.  Make theirs with ours a single voice

uplifted, ever to rejoice

with wond’ring gratitude and praise to you,

O Lord, for boundless grace.

Envy

Image in the Public Domain

Grant us, O Lord, the blessing of those whose minds are stayed on you, so that we may be kept in perfect peace:  a peace which cannot be broken.  Let not our minds rest upon any creature; but only in the Creator; not upon goods, things, houses, lands, inventions of vanities or foolish fashions, lest, our peace being broken, we become cross and brittle and given over to envy.  From all such deliver us, O God, and grant us your peace.

–George Fox (1624-1691)

Horton Davies, The Communion of Saints:  Prayers of the Famous (Grand Rapids, MI:  Eerdmans, 1990)

Quaker Meeting House

Image Source = Ahc

Prayers Source = Horton Davies, The Communion of Saints: Prayers of the Famous (Grand Rapids, MI:  Eerdmans, 1990)

O Lord, baptize our hearts into a sense of the conditions and needs of all people.

–George Fox (1624-1691)

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O God, help us not to despise what we do not understand.

–William Penn (1644-1718)