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:  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:  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.

Above:  The Holy Spirit as a Dove

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor from a Church Bulletin, St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia, Pentecost 2015

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

Hymn Source = Church Psalmody:  A Collection of Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Public Worship; Selected from Dr. Watts and Other Authors (1831)

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Spirit of peace! celestial dove!

How excellent thy praise!

No richer gift than Christian love

Thy gracious power displays.

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Sweet as the dew on herb and flower,

That silently distills,

At evening’s soft and balmy hour,

On Zion’s fruitful hills:–

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So, with mild and influence from above,

Shall promised grace descend,

Till universal peace and love

O’er all the earth extend.

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Above:  The Holy Spirit as a Dove

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor from a Church Bulletin, St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia, Pentecost 2015

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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Our blest Redeemer, ere he breathed

His tender, last farewell,

A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed

With us to dwell.

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He came in tongues of living flame,

To teach, convince, subdue;

All powerful as the wind he came,

As viewless too.

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He came sweet influence to impart,

A gracious willing guest,

While he can find one humble heart

Wherein to rest.

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And his that gentle voice we hear,

Soft as the breath of even,

That checks each fault, that calms each fear,

And speaks of heaven.

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And every virtue we possess,

And every victory won,

And every thought of holiness,

Are his alone.

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Spirit of purity and grace,

Our weakness pitying see;

O make our hearts thy dwelling place,

And worthier thee.

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Above:  The Ascension of Christ

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Greville Phillimore (1821-1884)

Hymn Source = In Memoriam (1884)

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Thou art gone up on high!

Why gaze they upwards there

Into the silent air,

That holy band?

Is it in grief, or doubt, or love

With eyes upturned to heaven

Wondering they stand?

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Thou art gone up on high!

Yet to their weary sight,

Clothed as in heaven bright,

The angels came;

They bring the warning words below,

And His Apostles needs must go

Without Him home.

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Thou art gone up on high!

Yet shall the Holy One

Not leave on earth alone

Whom He doth send;

These comfort, truth, and inward power,

Strengthen for the trial and the hour

Ever defend.

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Thou art gone up on high!

Help us our souls to raise,

Upwards on Thee to gaze,

Strength to obtain;

So to go forth and do Thy will,

And reach at last that holy hill

Where Thou dost reign.

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