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

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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:  Father and Son

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

Text (1956) by Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)

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O God, Who to a loyal home

Didst trust Thy Son divine,

Where faithful love and patient work

Made daily life benign;

With contrite shame Thy grace we claim

And lift to Thee our prayer;

Redeem our oft unworthy homes

Till all is Christlike there.

+++++

Deliver us from sins which harm

Our homes, and mar their peace.

May selfless and devoted love

Make strife and discord cease.

With anxious zeal, for mankind’s weal

And worldwide peace we pray,

But all in vain, if wayward homes

Cause childhood’s steps to stray.

+++++

Thou art our Father, and from Thee

All faithful families spring;

To homes where love and honor dwell

Thou dost Thy blessing bring.

O God of love, send from above

Thy succor, swift and strong,

That from such homes stout souls may come

To triumph over wrong.

+++++

We pray that childhood’s latent powers

May grow to bless mankind,

That we may guide aright young lives

For unguessed good designed.

O Father God, Whose Son has trod

Such lowly paths as we,

Help us to build on earth true homes,

Till we come home to Thee.

+++++

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

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

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

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The Lord is my Shepherd; no want shall I know;

I feed in green pastures, safe folded I rest;

He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,

Restores me when wandering, redeems when oppressed.

+++++

Through the valley and shadow of death though I stray,

Since Thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear,

Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay,

No harm can befall with my Comforter near.

+++++

In the midst of affliction my table is spread!

With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o’er;

With perfume and oil Thou anointest my head;

O what shall I ask of Thy providence more?

+++++

Let goodness and mercy, my bountiful God,

Still follow my steps till I meet Thee above,

I seek, by the path my forefathers trod

Through the land of their sojourn Thy kingdom of love.

Above:  The High Altar, All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia, May 14, 2017

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

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

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

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Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,

Unuttered or expressed,

The motion of a hidden fire

That trembles in the breast.

+++++

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,

The falling of a tear,

The upward glancing of an eyes,

When none but God is near.

+++++

Prayer is the simplest form of speech

That infant lips can try;

Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach

The Majesty on high.

+++++

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath;

The Christian’s native air,

His watchword at the gates of death;

He enters heaven with prayer.

+++++

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,

Returning from his ways;

While angels in their songs rejoice

And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

+++++

O Thou by Whom we come to God,

The Life, the Truth, the Way!

The path of prayer Thyself hast trod;

Lord, teach us how to pray.

Above:  The High Altar, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1818) by James Montgomery (1771-1854)

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

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Lord, teach us how to pray aright,

With reverence and with fear;

Though dust and ashes in Thy sight,

We may, we must draw near.

+++++

God of all grace, we come to Thee

With broken, contrite hearts;

Give what Thine eye delights to see,

Truth in the inward parts.

+++++

Give deep humility; the sense

Of godly sorrow give;

A strong, desiring confidence

To hear Thy voice and live;

+++++

Faith in the only sacrifice

That can for sin atone,

To cast our hopes, to fix our eyes

On Christ, on Christ alone;

+++++

Patience to watch, and wait, and weep,

Though mercy long delay;

Courage our fainting souls to keep,

And trust Thee though Thou slay;

+++++

Give these, and then Thy will be done;

Thus strengthened with all might,

We, by Thy Spirit and Thy Son,

Shall pray and pray  aright.

Above:  The High Altar, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Decatur, Georgia, June 11, 2017

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

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

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

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Almighty God, in humble prayer

To Thee our souls we lift;

Be Thou our waiting minds prepare

For Thy most needful gift.

+++++

We ask not golden streams of wealth

Along our path to flow;

We ask not undecaying health,

Nor length of years below;

+++++

We ask not honors, which an hour

May bring and take away;

We ask not pleasure, pomp, and power,

Lest we should go astray.

+++++

We ask not for wisdom:  Lord, impart

The knowledge how to live;

A wise and understanding heart

To all before Thee give.

+++++

The young remember Thee in youth

Before the evil day!

The old be guided by Thy truth

In wisdom’s pleasant way!

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

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1824) by James Montgomery (1771-1854)

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

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To Thy temple I repair,

Lord, I love to worship there,

When, within the veil,

I meet Christ before the mercy-seat.

+++++

While Thy glorious praise is sung,

Touch my lips, unloose my tongue

That my joyful soul may bless

Thee, the Lord, my Righteousness.

+++++

While the prayers of saints ascend,

God of love, to mine attend;

Hear me, for Thy Spirit pleads;

Hear, for Jesus intercedes.

+++++

While Thy ministers proclaim

Peace and pardon in Thy Name,

Through their voice, by faith, may I

Hear Thee speaking from the sky.

+++++

From Thy house, when I return,

May my heart within me burn;

And at evening let me say,

“I have walked with God today.”

Above:  St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Milledgeville, Georgia, May 7, 2017

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1833) by James Montgomery (1771-1854)

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

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God is in His holy temple;

All the earth keep silence here!

Worship Him in truth and spirit,

Reverence Him with godly fear!

Holy, holy,

Lord of hosts, our Lord, appear.

+++++

God in Christ reveals His presence,

Throned upon the mercy-seat;

Saints, rejoice; and sinners, tremble;

Each prepare his God to meet;

Lowly, lowly,

Bow adoring at His feet.

+++++

Hail Him here with songs of praises;

Him with prayers of faith surround;

Hearken to His glorious Gospel,

While the preacher’s lips expound;

Blessed, blessed,

They who know the joyful sound!

+++++

Though the heaven and heaven of heavens,

O Thou Great Unsearchable,

Are too mean to comprehend Thee,

Thou with man art pleased to dwell;

Welcome, welcome,

God with us, Immanuel!

Above:  Christ Pantocrator

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Text (1807; published in 1808) 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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Father of eternal grace!

Glorify Thyself in me;

Meekly beaming in my face

May the world Thine image see.

+++++

Happy only in Thy love,

Poor, unfriended or unknown;

Fix my thoughts on things above,

Stay my heart on Thee alone.

+++++

Humble, holy, all resigned

To Thy will–Thy will be done!

Give me, Lord!  the perfect mind

Of Thy well-beloved Son.

+++++

Counting gain and glory loss,

May I tread the path He trod;

Die with Jesus on the Cross,

Rise with Him, to Thee, my God!

Above:  Mountain Path

Image in the Public Domain

Text (no later than 1920) by Walter Russell Bowie (1882-1969)

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969), Moravian Church in America

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Lord, through changing days, unchanging,

Thou the light our fathers knew,

Through our widening ways, far ranging,

Let Thy splendor claim us too;

Go beside us,

Lead and guide us,

To whatever things are true.

+++++

Be the path through vale, up mountain,

Through the cloud, or through the blue,

By smooth field and silver fountain

Or parched desert struggled through;

Hold before us,

Kindle o’er us,

Whatsoever things are true.

+++++

Past all sham of small succeeding

Sordid gains that call and woo,

Lift us by the mighty leading

Fit for Thine aspiring few;

Hold us serving,

All unswerving,

Whatsoever things are true.