Above:  Clouds on the Horizon

Photographer = William Henry Jackson (1843-1942)

Image Source = Library of Congress

Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-det-4a16709

Text (1867; subsequently modified) by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908)

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Walter Chalmers Smith altered his text.  As best as I can determine, the original six-stanza version of the hymn was as follows:

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

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Unresting, unhasting, silent as light,

Nor striving, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;

Thy justice like mountains soaring above

Thy clouds which are are fountains of goodness and love.

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All live thou givest–to both great and small;

In all life livest, true life of all;

Thy blossom and flourish only are we,

To wither and perish–but nought changeth thee.

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Today and tomorrow with Thee still are now;

Nor trouble, nor sorrow, nor care, Lord, hast thou;

Nor passion doth fever, nor age can decay,

The same God for ever as on yesterday.

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Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;

But of all Thy good graces this grace, Lord, impart–

Take the veil from our faces, the veil from our heart.

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All laud we would render; O help us to see,

‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee;

And now let Thy glory to our gaze unroll

Through Christ in the story, and Christ in the soul.

Sources:  

The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927), The Church of Scotland, The United Free Church of Scotland, The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, The Presbyterian Church of England, The Presbyterian Church of Wales, The Presbyterian Church of Australia, The Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, and The Presbyterian Church of South Africa

Moffatt, James, ed. Handbook to The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927)

Stulken, Mary Kay, and Catherine Salika.  Hymnal Companion to Worship–Third Edition (1998), Roman Catholic Church

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Since The English Hymnal (1906), however, the standard version has been four stanzas long.  This has resulted from various minor changes, the omission of the original fourth stanza, the omission of the second halves of the original fifth and sixth stanzas, and the creation of a new fourth stanza from the first halves of the original fifth and sixth stanzas.

I have italicized changes from the version above.

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Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light accessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, Victorious, Thy great name we praise.

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Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;

Thy justice like mountains high soaring above

Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

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To all life Thou givest–to both great and small;

In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;

We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,

And wither and perish–but nought changeth Thee.

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Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light,

Thine Angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;

All laud we would render; O help us to see

‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.

Other Sources:

Moffatt, James, ed. Handbook to The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927)

Young, Carlton R.  Companion to The United Methodist Hymnal (1993)

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Above:  Sunset, Athens, Georgia, June 16, 2018

Photographer = Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

Text (1938) by Robert Balgarnie Young (R. B. Y.) Scott (1899-1987)

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Eternal, Unchanging, we sing to thy praise:

thy mercies are endless, and righteous thy ways;

thy servants proclaim the renown of thy name

who rulest omnipotent, ever the same.

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Again we rejoice in the world thou hast made,

thy mighty creation in beauty arrayed,

we thank thee for live, and we praise thee for joy,

for love and for hope that no power can destroy.

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We praise thee for Jesus, our Master and Lord,

the might of his Spirit, the truth of his word,

his comfort in sorrow, his patience in pain,

the faith sure and steadfast that Jesus shall reign.

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Above:  Mountain and Sky, Utah

Image in the Public Domain

Original German Text (1680) by Joachim Neander (1650-1680)

Composite English Translation

Hymn Source = Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church (1917), The United Lutheran Church in America (1918-1962) and its immediate predecessor bodies

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Heaven and earth, and sea and air,

All their Maker’s praise declare;

Wake, my soul, awake and sing:

Now thy grateful praises bring.

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See the glorious orb of day

Breaking through the clouds his way;

Moon and stares with silvery light

Praise Him through the silent night.

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See how He hath ev’ry where

Made this earth so rich and fair;

Hill and vale and fruitful land,

All things living, show His hand.

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See how through the boundless sky

Fresh and free the birds do fly;

Fire and wind and storm are still

Servants of His royal will.

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See the water’s ceaseless flow,

Ever circling to and fro;

From the sources to the sea,

Still it rolls in praise to Thee.

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Lord, great wonders workest Thou!

To Thy sway all creatures bow.

Write Thou deeply in my heart

What I am, and what Thou art!

Above:  Clouds

Image in the Public Domain

Original German Text (1680) by Joachim Neander (1650-1680)

English Translation (1938) by William John Schaefer (1891-1976)

Hymn Source = The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America

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Wondrous King, all-glorious,

Sov’reign Lord victorious,

Oh, receive our praise with favor!

From Thee welled God’s kindness

Tho’ we in our blindness

Strayed from Thee, our blessed Savior.

Strengthen Thou,

Help us now;

Let our tongues be singing,

Thee our praises bringing.

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Heavens, spread the story

Of our Maker’s glory,

All the pomp of earth obscuring,

Sun, thy rays be sending,

Thy bright beams expending,

Light to all the earth assuring.

Moon and star,

Praise afar

Him who glorious made you;

The vast heavens aid you.

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O my soul, rejoicing,

Sing, thy praises voicing,

Sing, with hymns of faith adore Him!

All who here have being,

Shout, your voices freeing,

Bow down in the dust before Him.

He is God Sabaoth;

Praise alone the Savior,

Here and there forever.

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Hallelujahs render

To the Lord most tender,

Te who know and love the Savior.

Hallelujahs sing ye,

Ye redeemed, oh, bring ye

Hearts that yield Him glad behavior.

Blest are ye

Endlessly;

Sinless there forever,

Ye shall laud Him ever.

Above: Suffused Light at Dawn

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1878) by Marianne Hearn (1834-1909)

Hymn Source = Worship and Song (1921), National Council of Congregational Churches

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Father most merciful!  Glad in the dawning

All things awake to sing praises to thee;

Thou art the giver of joy in the morning,

Spreading thy sunlight o’er meadow and sea.

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Bright birds soar up in the thin air to greet thee,

Sweet-scented blossoms look forth for thy face;

Thy children go out into daylight to meet thee,

Finding thy footprints in every new place.

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Father most merciful, give for our guerdon

Joy in thy presence whate’er may befall,

Courage to fight, or to carry the burden,

Faith to be cheerful and quiet through all.

Above:  Starry Night Sky

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = Hymns for the Living Age (1923)

Text (1921) by Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933)

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Thy wisdom and thy might appear,

Eternal God, through every year;

From day to day, from hour to hour,

Thy works reveal self-ordered power.

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We worship thee whose will hath laid

Thy sovereign rule on all things made;

The faithful stars, the fruitful earth,

Obey thy laws that gave them birth.

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Yet thou canst make a marvel shine

Amid these mighty laws of thine,

As when thy servant Moses came

And saw the bush with thee aflame.

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We turn aside and tread the ways

That lead through wonder up to praise;

Whatever thou by man art found

The homely earth is holy ground.

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If thou hast formed us out of dust

Through ages long, in thee we trust;

O grant us in our souls to see

The living flame that comes from thee.

Above:  Meadow of Flowers

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

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

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When spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil;

When summer’s balmy showers refresh the mower’s toil:

When winter binds in frosty chains the fallow and he flood;

In God the earth rejoiceth still, and owns his Maker good.

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The birds that wake the morning, and those that love the shade;

The winds that sweep the mountain, or lull the drowsy glade;

The sun that from his amber bower rejoiceth on his way,

The moon and stars–their Maker’s name in silent pomp display.

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Shall man, the lord of nature, expectant of the sky,

Shall man alone, unthankful, his little praise deny?

No; let the year forsake his course, the seasons cease to be,

Thee, Master, must we always love, and Saviour, honour thee.

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The flowers of spring may wither, the hope of summers fade,

The autumn droop in winter, the birds forsake the shade;

The winds be lulled, the sun and moon forget their old decree;

But we, in nature’s latest hour, O Lord, will cling to thee!

Above:  Lavender Field

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

Hymn Sources = The Hymnal 1940 (1943), The Episcopal Church; and The Hymnal 1940 Companion (1949)

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I praised the earth, in beauty seen,

With garlands gay of various green;

I praised the sea, whose ample field

Shone glorious as a silver shield;

And earth and ocean seemed to say,

“Our beauties are but for a day.”

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I praised the sun, whose chariot rolled

On wheels of amber and of gold;

I praised the moon, whose softer eye

Gleamed sweetly through the summer sky;

And moon and sun in answer said,

“Our days of light are numbered.”

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O God, O Good beyond compare,

If thus thy meaner works are fair,

If thus thy bounties gild the span

Of ruined earth and sinful man,

How glorious must the mansion be

Where thy redeemed shall dwell with thee!

Above:  Buckingham’s General Store, Circa 1898

Image Source = Library of Congress

Litany Source = A Book of Worship for Free Churches (1948), the General Council of the Congregational and Christian Churches in the United States

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O Lord, who didst create the earth for our habitation, and the increase thereof for our enrichment,

Have mercy upon us.

On the earth and all that is therein; on the harvest of the soil; on the trade and industry of our people; on the soil by which the sons of men obtain thy abundant gifts,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On those who search for thy treasures hidden in the earth; on those who labor to make them fir for the use of man,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On those who work in the building and adoring of the churches in which we worship, of the homes in which we live, of the goodly palaces of fart, and government, and commerce,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On manufacturers and craftsmen; on those who devise cunning machines and are skilled in all manner of workmanship,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On merchants who bring thy gifts from foreign lands; on the men who go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On all who trade with us in the shop, or in the market; on all who serve at the counter, or in the office; on those who bring what we need for life, or comfort, or enjoyment, within reach of our homes,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

O Lord, how manifold are thy works;

In wisdom thou hast made them all.

O Lord, how manifold are thy works;

The earth is full of thy riches.

O God, who orderest all things both in heaven and earth; grant that every man, according to the business which he hath undertaken among the sons of men, may know that he is thy servant therein; that whatsoever his hand findeth to do, he may do it as in thy service and to thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

–Pages 317-319

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This is post #1750 of GATHERED PRAYERS.

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The Chapel, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Image Source = Library of Congress

Litany Source = A Book of Worship for Free Churches (1948), the General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States

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Eternal God, who hast promised us the liberty which follows after truth; grant that, keeping the commandments of Christ, we may have the mind of Christ and be free, as he was free.

For all who guard the truths which were known of old, that, as good stewards of that knowledge, they may confirm us in simple and righteous living;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

For those who seek the new truth, that, believing more light is yet to break, they may be sustained in their searching by the faith that thou art, and that thou art the rewarder of them that diligently seek thee;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

For all scientists, looking upon the face of nature, that they may see order in its variety and law in its constancy, and may teach men to live upon earth in confidence and without fear;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

For all historians, that, telling again the story of the past with sincerity and sympathy, they may bind the generations together in one communion to thy real sons;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

For all builders, poets, painters, and makers of music, that they may open our blind eyes and unstop our deaf ears to the beauty of thy world;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

For all who would lead man’s long thoughts beyond the things that are known into the world which is the unknown, that their faith may prepare for us a place in the infinite mystery;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

For all who unselfishly bring their knowledge to the service of the world, that they may prove their learning by their works; and give that vision without which the people parish;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

For ourselves in this society of the truth, that accepting with gladness the high offices of thought, that seeing clearly, and feeling deeply we may go forth to be in the world as those who serve, and may this know the mind of Christ which we would make the manner of our thinking; and all these things we ask in his Name, even Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

–Pages 314-315