Above:  Pentecost Dove

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Text (1819) by James Montgomery (1771-1854)

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

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Lord God, the Holy Ghost,

In this accepted hour,

As on the day of Pentecost,

Descend in all Thy power.

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We meet with one accord

In our appointed place,

And wait the promise of our Lord,

The Spirit of all grace.

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Like mighty, rushing wind

Upon the waves beneath,

Move with one impulse every mind,

One soul, one feeling breathe.

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The young, the old inspire

With wisdom from above;

And give us hearts and tongues of fire,

To pray, and praise.

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Spirit of light, explore

And chase our gloom away,

With lustre shining more and more

Unto the perfect day!

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Spirit of Truth, be Thou

In live and death our Guide!

O Spirit of Adoption, now

May we be sanctified!

Above:  Pentecost Dove

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Text (originally four stanzas) by Timothy Rees (1874-1939)

Hymn Source = Worship Supplement (1969), The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches

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Holy Spirit, ever dwelling

In the holiest realms of light;

Holy Spirit, ever brooding

O’er a world of gloom and night;

Holy Spirit, ever raising

Sons of earth to thrones on high;

Living, life-imparting Spirit,

Thee we praise and magnify.

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Holy Spirit, ever living

As the Church’s very life;

Holy Spirit, ever striving

Through her in a ceaseless strife;

Holy Spirit, ever forming

In the Church the mind of Christ;

Thee we praise with endless worship

For thy fruit and gifts unpriced.

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Holy Spirit, ever working

Through the Church’s ministry;

Quickening, strengthening, and absolving,

Setting captive sinners free;

Holy Spirit, ever binding

Age to age and soul to soul,

In a fellowship unending

Thee we worship and extol.

Above:  Icon of the Resurrection

Image in the Public Domain

Original Greek Text (700s) by St. John of Damascus

English Translation from Hymns of the Eastern Church (1862), by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

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

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Thou hallowed chosen morn of praise,

That best and greatest shinest:

Lady and queen and day of days,

Of things divine, divinest!

On thee our praises Christ adore

For ever and for evermore.

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Come, let us taste the Vine’s new fruit,

For heavenly joy preparing;

To-day the branches with the Root

In Resurrection sharing:

Whom as true God our hymns adore

For ever and for evermore.

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Rise, Sion, rise! and looking forth,

Behold thy children round thee!

From east and west, from south and north,

Thy scattered sons have found thee;

And in thy bosom Christ adore

For ever and for evermore.

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O Father, O co-equal Son,

O co-eternal Spirit,

In persons Three, in substance One,

And One in power and merit;

In thee baptized, we thee adore

For ever and for evermore.

Above:  Icon of the Resurrection

Image in the Public Domain

Original Greek Text (700s) by St. John of Damascus

English Translation from Christian Remembrances (1859), by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

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

The reference to Christian Remembrances comes from William Gustave Polack, The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal, Second Edition (1942).

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Come, ye faithful raise the strain

Of triumphant gladness;

God hath brought his Israel

Into joy from sadness;

Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke

Jacob’s sons and daughters;

Led them with unmoistened foot

Through the Red Sea waters.

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‘Tis the Spring of souls to-day;

Christ hath burst his prison,

And from three days’ sleep in death

As a Sun hath risen;

All the winter of our sins

Long and dark, is flying

From his Light, to whom we give

Laud and praise undying.

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Now the Queen of seasons, bright

With the Day of splendour,

With the royal Feast of feasts,

Comes its joy to render;

Comes to glad Jerusalem

Who with true affection

Welcomes in unwearied strains

Jesu’s Resurrection.

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Neither might the gates of death,

Nor the tomb’s dark portal,

Nor the watchers, nor the seal,

Hold thee as a mortal;

But to-day amidst the twelve

Thou didst stand, bestowing

That thy peace which evermore

Passeth human knowing.

Above:  Descent from the Cross

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The Pilgrim Hymnal (1904), National Council of Congregational Churches in the United States

Text (1893) by Theodore Claudius Pease (1853-1893)

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O Lord of life, once laid in Joseph’s tomb,

Around Thy grave the garden bursts in bloom,

Thy glory breaks the world’s long night of gloom.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

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Thou for us all didst hang upon the tree;

The burden of our sins was borne by Thee;

Thy stripes have healed, Thy sorrows set us free.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

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Now all is o’er,–Thy toil, Thy grief, Thy pain;

The veil of death by Thee is rent in twain;

Thine earthly loss is our eternal gain.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

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Henceforth, through hours of ease and days of care,

Help us with Thee our daily cross to bear,

Strong in Thy strength, and brave Thy cup to share.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

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When through dark vales our lonely pathway lies,

Though hearts may faint, and tears may dim our eyes,

Thy light shall guide our footsteps to the skies.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

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And when, at last, our work on earth is o’er,

Lead us where Thou hast trod the path before,

Through death to life with Thee forevermore!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Above:  Christ in Gethsemane, by Heinrich Hofmann

Image in the Public Domain

Original German Text (1725) by Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760)

English Translation by John Anketell (1835-1905)

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

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O Thou, Who in that last, sad night,

Ere Thou didst yield to death,

Didst teach Thine own of Love’s sweet might,

As with Thy dying breath,

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Remember, Lord, Thy little flock,

Whom trifles now divide,

And make them one in Thee, their Rock,

As Thine elected bride.

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Compel our proud and stubborn sense,

That will not know its Lord,

And lead us in Thy love from hence

To Thy Love’s sweet reward.

Above:  The Descent of the Holy Ghost, by Titian

Image in the Public Domain

Original German Text by Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760)

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

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To Thee, God, Holy Ghost, we pray,

Who lead’st us in the gospel way,

Those precious gifts on us bestow,

Which from our Saviour’s merits flow.

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Thou Heavenly Teacher, Thee we praise

For Thy instruction, power and grace,

To love the Father, Who doth own

Us as His children in the Son.

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Most gracious Comforter, we pray,

O, lead us further every day;

Thy unction to us all impart,

Preserve and sanctify each heart.

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Till we in heaven shall take our seat,

Instruct us often to repeat,

“Abba, our Father;” and to be

With Christ in union constantly.

Above:  Hills in Summer

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1929) by Ferdinand Quincy Blanchard (1876-1966)

Hymn Source = New Worship and Song with Worship Services and Source Materials (1942), General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States

I found a reference to this hymn and its source at hymnary.org.  I read the text today, after my copy of New Worship and Song arrived.

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Clear o’er the hills ring out the glad hosannas,

Bright shines the sunlight on the pilgrim throng,

Onward he rides to bear his wondrous message.

Seeking its truth the world has waited long.

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Will they accept him, finding God his Father;

Loving with strength and heart and soul and mind;

Will they accept and walk his way of service

Leading to wider joy for all mankind?

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So through all ages still he comes appealing,

Calling the sons of men from self to God,

Quickening the love that binds man to his neighbor,

Showing the path redeeming love has trod.

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Grant us, O God, the heart of full allegiance,

Teach us the secret of his gain through loss,

Fit us to build the Kingdom of thy purpose,

So to fulfill the triumph of his cross.

Above:  Icon of the Holy Trinity, by Andrei Rublev

Image in the Public Domain

Swedish Text (1530) by Olavus Petri (1493-1552)

English Translation (Before 1925) by Augustus Nelson (1863-1949)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

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Our Father, merciful and good,

Who dost to Thee invite us,

O cleanse us in our Saviour’s blood,

And to Thyself unite us!

Send unto us Thy holy Word,

And let it guide us ever;

Then in this world of darkness, Lord,

Shall naught from Thee us sever:

Grant us, O Lord, this favor!

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We cry to Thee with one accord,

‘Tis all that can avail us;

We cannot hear nor keep Thy Word,

If grace divine doth fail us.

Behold our lot, we humbly pray,

For our dear Saviour’s merit,

How Satan soweth tares alway,

And send, O Lord, Thy Spirit,

That we may life inherit.

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O God and man, Christ Jesus blest!

Our sorrows Thou didst carry,

Our wants and cares Thou knowest best,

For Thou with us didst tarry.

O Jesus Christ, our Brother dear,

To us and every nation

Thy Spirit send, let Him draw near

With truth and consolation,

That we may see salvation.

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Come, Holy Ghost, Thy grace impart,

Tear Satan’s snares asunder.

The Word of God keep in our heart,

That we its truth may ponder.

Then, sanctified, for evermore

In Christ alone confiding,

We’ll sing His praise and Him adore,

His precious Word us guiding

To heavenly joys abiding!

Above:  Icon of the Resurrection

Image in the Public Domain

Swedish Text (1536) by Olavus Petri (1493-1552)

English Translation (Before 1899) by George Henry Trabert (1843-1931)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod

Some hymnals contain a shortened and altered version of the hymn, listing it as “O Paschal Feast, What Joy is Thine.”

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Blest Easter Day, what joy is thine!

We praise, dear Lord, Thy Name divine,

For Thou hast triumphed o’er the tomb;

No more we need to dread its gloom.

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The tree where Thou was offered up

Now bears the fruit of life and hope:

Thy precious blood for us is shed,

Now we may feed on heavenly bread.

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We thank Thee, Jesus, that Thy hand

Has freed us from sin’s galling band;

No more its thralldom we need fear;

The year of liberty is here.

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O Jesus Christ, God’s Son elect,

Our Paschal Lamb without defect,

To us Thou givest strength indeed,

In all our conflicts, all our need.

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O grant, that as Thou didst arise,

We, too, with joy, may heavenward rise,

First from our sin, to love Thy way,

Then from the grave on that great Day.

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All praise to Thee who from death’s might,

From carnal lust and sin’s dark plight

Redeemest me, that even I

May reach eternal life on high.