Above:  Riverside Church and Grant’s Tomb, New York, New York

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn (1930) by Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969), for the opening of the Riverside Church, New York, New York, in 1930

Hymn Sources = The Hymnal (1941), Evangelical and Reformed Church; Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

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

God of grace and God of glory,

On Thy people pour Thy power;

Crown Thine ancient church’s story;

Bring her bud to glorious flower.

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,

For the facing of this hour,

For the facing of this hour.

+++++

Lo! the hosts of evil round us

Scorn Thy Christ, assail his ways!

From the fears that long have bound us

Free our hearts to faith and praise:

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,

For the living of these days,

For the living of these days.

+++++

Cure Thy children’s warring madness,

Bend our pride to Thy control;

Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,

Rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,

Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,

Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.

+++++

Set our feet on lofty places;

Gird our lives that they may be

Armored with all Christlike graces

In the fight to set men free.

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,

That we fail not man nor Thee!

That we fail not man nor Thee!

+++++

Save us from weak resignation

To the evils we deplore;

Let the search for Thy salvation

Be our glory evermore.

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage

Serving Thee Whom we adore,

Serving Thee Whom we adore.

Above:  Apotheosis of War, by Vasily Vereshchagin

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1930) by Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)

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

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

The Prince of Peace His banner spreads,

His wayward folk to lead

From war’s embattled hates and dreads,

Its bulwarked ire and greed.

O marshal us, the sons of sires

Who braved the cannon’s roar,

To venture all that peace requires

As they dared death for war.

+++++

Lead on, O Christ!  That haunting song

No centuries can dim,

Which long ago the heavenly throng

Sang over Bethlehem;

Cast down our rancor, fear, and pride,

Exalt goodwill again!

Our worship doth Thy name deride,

Bring we not peace to men.

+++++

Thy pardon, Lord, for war’s dark shame,

Its death-strewn, bloody fields!

Yet thanks to Thee for souls aflame

Who dared with swords and shields!

O Christ, who died to give men life,

Bring that victorious hour,

When man shall use for peace, not strife,

His valor, skill, and power.

Above:  Supper at Emmaus, by Matthias Stom

Image in the Public Domain

Text (published in 1825) by James Montgomery (1771-1854)

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

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

Be known to us in breaking bread,

But do not then depart;

Saviour, abide with us, and spread

Thy table in our heart.

+++++

There sup with us in love divine;

Thy body and Thy blood,

That living bread, that heavenly wine,

Be our immortal food.

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Covington, Georgia, May 7, 2017

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1825) by James Montgomery (1771-1854)

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

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

According to Thy gracious word,

In meek humility,

Thy will I do, my dying Lord,

I will remember Thee.

+++++

Thy body, broken for my sake,

My bread from heaven shall be;

Thy testamental cup I take

And thus remember Thee.

+++++

Whom to the cross I turn mine eyes,

And rest on Calvary,

O Lamb of God, my Sacrifice,

I must remember Thee;

+++++

Remember Thee, and all Thy pains,

And all Thy love to me:

Yea, while a breath, a pulse remains,

Will I remember Thee.

Above:  Young Jesus in the Temple

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1863) by James Russell Woodford (1820-1885), Anglican Bishop of Ely (1873-1885)

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

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

Within the Father’s house

The Son hath found His home;

And to His temple suddenly

The Lord of life hath come.

+++++

The doctors of the law

Gaze on the wondrous Child,

And marvel at His gracious words

Of wisdom undefiled.

+++++

Yet not to them is given

The mighty truth to know,

To lift the fleshly veil which hides

Incarnate God below.

+++++

The secret of the Lord

Escapes each human eye,

And faithful pondering hearts await

The full epiphany.

+++++

Lord, visit Thou our souls,

And teach us by Thy grace

Each dim revealing of Thyself

With loving awe to trace;

+++++

Till from our darkened sight

The cloud shall pass away,

And on the cleansed soul shall burst

The everlasting day.

Above:  Snow-Covered Trail, Seward, Alaska, 1916

Image Source = Library of Congress

Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsc-01960

Text (1769; published in 1772) by William Cowper (1731-1800)

Hymn Source #1  = The Hymnal (1941), Evangelical and Reformed Church

Hymn Source #2 = The Hymnal 1940 Companion (1949), The Episcopal Church

The original text was six stanzas long.

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

O for a closer walk with God,

A calm and heavenly frame,

A light to shine upon the road

That leads me to the Lamb.

+++++

Where is the blessedness I knew,

When first I saw the Lord?

Where is the soul-refreshing view

Of Jesus, and his word?

+++++

What peaceful hours I then enjoyed!

How sweet their memory still!

But they have left an aching void

The world can never fill.

+++++

Return, O Holy Dove, return,

Sweet messenger of rest;

I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,

And drove Thee from my breast.

+++++

The dearest idol I have known,

Whate’er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from Thy throne,

And worship only Thee.

+++++

So shall my walk be close with God,

Calm and serene my frame;

So purer light shall mark the road

That leads me to the Lamb.

Above:  All Angels Episcopal Church, Eatonton, Georgia, January 22, 2017

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1562) by John Marckant; altered by Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

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

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

O Lord, turn not Thy face away

From them that lowly lie,

Lamenting sore their sinful life

With tears and bitter cry.

+++++

Thy mercy gates are open wide

To them that mourn their sin;

O shout them not against us, Lord,

But let us enter in.

+++++

And need we, then, O Lord, repeat

The blessing which we crave,

When Thou dost know, before we speak,

The thing that we would have?

+++++

Mercy, O Lord, mercy we ask,

This is the total sum;

For mercy, Lord, is all our prayer,

O let Thy mercy come!

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

This is post #1800 of GATHERED PRAYERS.

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

Above:  John Scrimger

Image Source = The Presbyterian Church in Canada

Text by the Reverend John Scrimger (February 10, 1849-August 6, 1915), Canadian Presbyterian; he participated in the planning stages of the formation of The United Church of Canada (1925)

The Story of Our Hymns:  The Handbook to the Hymnal of the Evangelical and Reformed Church (1952), by Armin Haeussler, contains an excellent biography of Scrimger.

Scrimger composed this text, based on Psalm 15, for The Psalter (1912), the committee of which he was a member.  The Psalter (1912) was a product of the United Presbyterian Church of North America; the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.; the Presbyterian Church in Canada; the Reformed Church in America; the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America; the Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Synod; the Christian Reformed Church in North America; the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church; and the Associate Presbyterian Church.

This text seems to have fallen out of favor, based on my survey of germane books in my extensive collection of hymnals.  The most recent volumes I have found to contain the text are the Trinity Hymnal (1961), Orthodox Presbyterian Church; and the Trinity Hymnal–Baptist Edition (1995), Regular Baptists.

Text Source = The Psalter (1914/1927), which is The Psalter (1912) with documents, some of them particular to the Christian Reformed Church in North America, appended

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

 Lord, who shall come to Thee,

And stand before Thy face?

Who shall abide, a welcome guest,

Within Thy holy place?

+++++

The man of upright life,

Sincere in word and deed,

Who slanders neither friend nor foe,

Nor idle tales will heed.

+++++

Who honors godly men,

But scorns the false and vile,

Who keeps his promised word to all,

Tho’ loss be his the while.

+++++

Who loves not usury,

Nor takes a base reward;

Unmoved forever he shall be,

And stand before the Lord.

Above:  The Lamentation of Christ, by El Greco

Image in the Public Domain

Prayer Source = Book of Worship (1942), Evangelical and Reformed Church

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

God of comfort and infinite compassion, who canst turn sorrow into joy;

look mercifully upon all who are in trouble whether of mind, body, or estate;

sustain and heal the sick;

support and sanctify the dying;

visit with thy mercy those who mourn.

Pour thy divine peace into every wounded spirit;

and give to each desolate soul the assurance of thy love;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Above:  Logo of the Evangelical and Reformed Church

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Litany Source = Book of Worship (1942), Evangelical and Reformed Church

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

I

Let us pray for deliverance from evil:

Lord, deliver us:

From the love of money:

From the forgetfulness of duty:

From anger, malice, and contempt:

From oppression, carelessness, and neglect:

From hardness, narrowness, and distrust:

From all lack of faith, hope, and charity:

Lord, deliver us.

II

For all who learn and labor truly:  for men and women who face peril and bear pain:

We beseech thee:

For those who till the earth:  for those who tend machinery:

For those who strive on land or sea or in the air:  for those who venture in far countries:

For those who work in offices and warehouses:  for those who labour at furnaces and in factories:

For those who toil in mines:  for those who buy and sell:

For those who keep house:  for those who train children:

We beseech thee.

III

For all who live by strength of arm:  for all who live by cunning of hand:

For all women workers:

For all who organize, control, lead, or employ:

For all who enrich the common life through art, and science, and learning:

For all who guide the common thought as writers or as teachers:

For all who serve the common good as pastors, physicians, lawyers, merchants:

For all the services, and for all public servants…:

For all social workers, leaders, and statesmen…:

We beseech thee.

IV

And for all who are poor, or broken, or oppressed:

We pray to thee:

For all whose labor is without hope:  for all whose labor is without honor:

For all whose labor is dangerous:  for all who live in penury:

For all who have too little leisure:  for those who are underpaid:

For all who cannot find their proper work:  for those who will not work:

For casual workers:  for the unemployed:

For those who are badly housed:

For those who have no home:

For prisoners and outcasts:  for the victims of lust:

For all who are afflicted or sick:  for all who are hungry or ill-fed:

For all who are luxurious, intemperate, stupid, or cruel:

For all who are striving after better things.

We pray to thee.

V

Lord’s Prayer