Above:  Christ Pantocrator

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Text (1922) by John Howard Bertram Masterman (1867-1933), Anglican Bishop of Plymouth (1923-1933)

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

The Christian Youth Hymnal (1948) contains three of the four stanzas and lists the second stanza as the first and the first stanza as the third.

The Methodist Hymnal/The Book of Hymns (1966) uses only the first three stanzas and reorders them:  2, 3, 1.  The hymn becomes, “Lift Up Our Hearts, O King of Kings.”

I care about what people wrote and in what order they arranged their stanzas.

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1.  Almighty Father, who dost give

The gift of life to all who live,

Look down on all earth’s sin and strife,

And lift us to a holier life.

2.  Lift up our hearts, O King of kings,

To brighter hopes and kindlier things;

To visions of a larger good,

And holier dreams of brotherhood.

3.  Thy world is weary of its pain,

Of selfish greed and fruitless gain,

Of tarnished honor, falsely strong,

And all its ancient deeds of wrong.

4.  Hear Thou the prayer Thy servants pray,

Uprising from all lands today,

And o’er the vanquished powers of sin

O bring Thy great salvation in.

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Above:  Icon of Christ the Merciful

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1905) by Handley Carr Glyn Moule (1841-1920)

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), The United Lutheran Church in America

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1.  Lord and Saviour, true and kind,

Be the Master of my mind;

Bless, and guide, and strengthen still

All my powers of thought and will.

2.  Let Thy gracious presence rule

All I think and speak at school;

Keep me faithful, prompt, and keen,

At Thy side, my King unseen.

3.  Here I train for life’s swift race;

Let me do it in Thy grace;

Here I arm me for life’s fight;

Let me do it in Thy might.

4.  Thou hast made me mind and soul;

I for Thee would use the whole:

Thou hast died that I might live;

All my powers to Thee I give.

Above:  Countryside Home

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1918) by Arthur Gutterman (1871-1943)

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), The United Lutheran Church in America

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1.  Bless the four corners of this house,

And be the lintel blest;

And bless the hearth, and bless the board,

And bless each place of rest,

And bless each place of rest.

2.  And bless the door that opens wide

To stranger, as to kin;

And bless each crystal windowpane

That lets the starlight in,

That lets the starlight in;

3.  And bless the roof-tree overhead,

And ev’ry sturdy wall.

The peace of man, the peace of God,

The peace of love on all,

The peace of love on all.

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Above:  Icon of Christ the Merciful

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1854) by Henry Augustine Collins (1827-1919)

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), The United Lutheran Church in America

The original version had “Jesu,” not “Jesus.”

This is the most popular of the hymns Collins wrote, for it has had more staying power in hymnody than the others.

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1.  Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All,

Hear me, blest Saviour, when I call!

Hear me, and from Thy dwelling-place

Pour down the riches of Thy grace.

Refrain:

Jesus, my Lord I Thee adore,

O make me love Thee more and more.

2.  Jesus, too late I Thee have sought;

How can I love Thee as I ought?

And how extol Thy matchless fame,

The glorious beauty of Thy Name?

Refrain

3.  Jesus, what didst Thou find in me,

That Thou hast dealt so lovingly?

How great the joy Thou hast brought,

So far exceeding hope or thought!

Refrain

4.  Jesus, of Thee shall be in my song,

To Thee my heart and soul belong;

All that I have or am is Thine,

And Thou, blest Saviour, Thou art mine.

Refrain

Above:  Path

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1879) by Washington Gladden (1836-1918)

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), The United Lutheran Church in America

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1.  O Master, let me walk with Thee

In lowly paths of service free;

Tell me Thy secret; help me bear

The strain of toil, the fret of care.

2.  Help me the slow of heart to move

By some clear winning word of love;

Teach me the wayward feed to stay,

And guide them in the homeward way.

3.  Teach me Thy patience, still with Thee

In closer, dearer company,

In work that keeps faith sweet and strong,

In trust that triumphs over wrong;

4.  In hope that sends a shining ray

Far down the future’s broad’ning way;

In peace that only Thou canst give,

With Thee, O master, let me live.

Above:  Early Morning

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1876) by Sybil Farich Partridge, a.k.a. Sister Mary Xavier (1856-circa 1920)

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), The United Lutheran Church in America

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1.  Lord, for tomorrow and its needs

I do not pray;

Keep me, O God, from stain of sin,

Just for today,

Refrain:

Just for today,

Just for today,

Keep me, O God, from stain of sin,

Just for today.

2.  Let me both diligently work

And duly pray;

Let me be kind in word and deed,

Just for today,

Refrain

3.  Let me no wrong or idle word

Unthinkingly say;

Set thou a seal upon my lips,

Just for today,

Refrain

4.  So, for tomorrow and its needs

I do not pray;

But keep me, guide me, love me, Lord,

Just for today,

Refrain

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Holy Family, Jasper, Georgia, June 21, 2015

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1926) by Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929)

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), The United Lutheran Church in America

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1.  Dear God, our Father, at Thy knee confessing

Our sins and follies, close in Thine embrace,

Children forgiven, happy in Thy blessing,

Deepen our spirits to receive Thy grace.

2.  Not for more beauty would our eyes entreat Thee,

Flooded with beauty, beauty everywhere;

Only for keener vision that may greet Thee

In all Thy vestures of the earth and air.

3.  The stars and rainbows are Thy wondrous wearing

Sunlight and shadow moving on the hills;

Holy the meadow where Thy feet are faring,

Holy the brooklet that Thy laughter fills.

4.  Not for more love our craving hearts implore Thee,

But for more power to love until they glow

Like hearths of comfort, eager to restore Thee,

Hidden in human wretchedness and woe.

5.  In souls most sullen Thou art softly dreaming

Of saints and heroes wrought from Thy divine

Pity and patience, still the lost redeeming.

Deepen our spirits for a love like Thine.

Above:  A F-16 Jet

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1928) by Harry Webb Farrington (1879-1930)

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), The United Lutheran Church in America

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1.  O God, Creator, in whose hand

The rolling planets lie,

Give skill to those who now command

The ships that brave the sky.

2.  Strong Spirit, burning with mankind

On missions high to dare,

Safe pilot all who seek to find

Their haven thro’ the air.

3.  Calm Christ, courageous in Thy quest,

Whose light led men afar,

Illume their pathways with Thy blest

And peaceful natal star.

4.  Enfolding Life, bear on Thy wing

Thro’ storm and dark and sun,

The men in air who closer bring

The nations into one.

Sandstone Arch, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Image Source = Vic Brincat

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), of the United Lutheran Church in America

Words by John Keble (1792-1866), Anglican priest and poet of the Oxford Movement

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1.  There is a book who runs may read,

Which heavenly truth imparts;

And all the lore its scholars need,

Pure eyes and Christian hearts.

2.  The works of God, above, below,

Within us and around,

Are pages in that book, to show

How God Himself is found.

3.  The glorious sky, embracing all,

Is like the Maker’s love,

Wherewith encompassed, great and small

In peace and order move.

4.  The moon above, the Church below,

A wondrous race they run;

But all their radiance, all their glow,

Each borrows from its sun.

5.  The raging fire, the roaring wind,

Thy boundless power display;

But in the gentler breeze we find

Thy Spirit’s viewless way.

6.  Two worlds are ours; ’tis only sin

Forbids us to descry

The mystic heaven and earth within,

Plain as the sea and sky.

7.  Thou, who has given me eyes to see

And love this sight so fair,

Give me a heart to find out Thee,

And read Thee everywhere.

Appalachian Mountains in Yancey County, North Carolina, U.S.A.

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = Christian Youth Hymnal (1948), of the United Lutheran Church in America

Words by Thomas Paxton, about whom I can find no information

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1.  God of the glorious sunshine,

God of refreshing rain,

Whose voice bids earth awaken

And clothe itself again.

With life of richest beauty

In plant, in flower and tree:

Thou God of light and splendor,

We rise and worship Thee.

2.  God of the hill and mountain,

Of valley and of dale,

Whose finger paints the rainbows;

Thy beauties never fail

To raise our souls in wonder,

And turn our thoughts to Thee;

Thou God of living nature

We stand and worship Thee.

3.  God of the busy daytime,

God of the quiet night,

Whose peace pervades the darkness

And greets us with the light,

Safe with Thy presence near us,

Whatever we may be,

Thou God, our great Protector,

We love and worship Thee.

4.  God of the whole creation,

God of all life below,

We seek Thy nearer presence,

Thy grander life to know;

When we, Thy heightened splendor,

Thy greater glories see,

Thou God of all creation,

We still shall worship Thee.