Above:  Easter Cross, by Jakob Häne

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1916) by Julius Ewald Kockritz (1876-1931)

Hymn Source = The Evangelical Hymnal (1917), Evangelical Synod of North America

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Lord, I would praise Thee for Thy great salvation;

My soul is filled with happy exultation,

Its chief enjoyment, to proclaim the story

Of Thy great glory.

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Lord, I would serve Thee in complete surrender,

And to Thy great cause my best efforts tender;

Give me a spirit, Thy control possessing,

Serving and blessing.

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Lord, I would love Thee, Thou art love deserving,

For Thou dost keep me with a grace preserving;

Fill Thou my cold heart with devotion burning

And for Thee yearning.

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Lord, I would trust Thee in my dying hour;

Have Thee enfold me by Thy love and power;

I shall not fear then to go forward bravely,

For Thou wilt save me.

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Above:  The New Jerusalem, from a fresco by Giusto de’ Monabuio, in the baptistry, Padua, Italy

Image in the Public Domain

German Text (1697) by Ludwig Andreas Gotter (1661-1735)

English Translation (1912) by Rudolph A. John (1859-1938)

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

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I will ever sing Thy praises,

Mighty God and gracious King;

Glad my heart its tribute raises,

And to Thee my psalms I sing;

Thou art King of all creation,

Every land and every nation;

“Thousand, thousand thanks to Thee,

Mighty God,” my song shall be!

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All the people shall proclaim Thee,

Sing Thy praise from shore to shore;

Every human heart shall name Thee,

God and King forevermore;

On Thy throne in heaven vaulted,

In Thy majesty exalted,

“Thousand, thousand thanks to Thee,

Mighty God,” my song shall be!

+++++

When at last my feet have found Thee,

When at last I am Thine own;

When the ransomed hosts surround Thee,

On Thy great eternal throne;

When in yonder land of glory

Angels tell redemption’s story,

“Thousand, thousand thanks to Thee,

Mighty God,” my song shall be!

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Above:  Midnight Sun

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Albert F. Bayly (1901-1984)

Hymn Source = Common Praise (1998), the Anglican Church of Canada

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When the morning stars together their creator’s glory sang,

and the angel host all shouted till with joy the heavens rang,

then your wisdom and your greatness their exultant music told,

all the beauty and the splendour which your mighty works unfold.

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When in synagogue and temple voices raised their psalmist’ songs,

offering the adoration which alone to you belongs;

when the singers and the cymbals with the trumpet made accord,

glory filled the house of worship, and all knew your presence, Lord.

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Voice and instrument, in union through the ages, spoke your praise,

Plainsong, tuneful tuneful hymns, and anthems told your faithful, gracious ways.

Choir and orchestra and organ each a sacred offering brought,

while inspired by your Spirit, poet and composer wrought.

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Lord, we bring our gift of music; tough our lips and fire our hearts,

teach our minds and train our senses, fit us for this sacred art.

Then with skill and consecration we would serve you, Lord, and give

all our powers to glorify you, and, in serving, fully life.

Above:  Icon of the Holy Trinity, by Andrei Rublev

Image in the Public Domain

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

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

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Sing ye praises to the Father,

sing ye praises to the Son,

sing ye praises to the Spirit,

living and eternal One.

God has made us, God has blessed us,

God has called us to be true;

he is Lord of all creation,

daily making all things new.

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Join the praise of every creature,

sing with singing birds at dawn;

when the stars shine forth at nightfall,

hear their heavenly antiphon.

Praise him for the light of summer,

autumn glories, winter snows,

for the coming of the springtime

and the life of all that glows.

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Praise God on our days of gladness

for his summons to rejoice,

praise him in our times of sadness

for the comfort of his voice.

God our Father, strong and loving,

Christ our Saviour, Leader, Lord,

living God, Creator Spirit–

by thy holy name adored!

Above:  Part of My Biblical Studies Library, September 15, 2019

Photographer = Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Text (1861) by Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877)

Hymn Source = The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927)

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Lord, Thy word abideth,

And our footsteps guideth;

Who its truth believeth

Light and joy receiveth.

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When our foes are near us,

Then Thy word doth cheer us,

Word of consolation,

Message of salvation.

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When the storms are o’er us,

And dark clouds before us,

Then its light directeth,

And our way protecteth.

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Who can tell the pleasure,

Who recount the treasure,

By Thy word imparted

To the simple-hearted?

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Word of mercy, giving

Succour to the living;

Word of life, supplying

Comfort to the dying!

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O that we, discerning

Its most holy learning,

Lord, may love and fear Thee,

Evermore be near Thee!

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Above:  Christ Calmeth the Tempest, by John Martin

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Frank Mason North (1850-1935)

Hymn Source = The Methodist Hymnal (1905), Methodist Episcopal Church and Methodist Episcopal Church, South

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Jesus, the calm that fills my breast,

No other heart than thine can give;

This peace unstirred, this joy of rest,

None but thy loved ones can receive.

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My weary soul has found a charm

That turns to blessedness my woe;

Within the shelter of thine arm,

I rest secure from storm and foe.

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In desert wastes I feel no dread,

Fearless I walk the trackless sea;

I care not where my way is led,

Since all my life is life with thee.

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O Christ, through changeful years my Guide,

My Comforter in sorrow’s night,

My friend, when friendless–still abide,

My Lord, my Counselor, my Light.

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My time, my powers, I give to thee;

My inmost soul ’tis thine to move;

I wait for thy eternity,

I wait, in peace, in praise, in love.

Above:  Grace Episcopal Church, Gainesville, Georgia, July 7, 2018

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1887) by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908)

Hymn Source = The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927), of various Presbyterian denominations

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One thing I of the Lord desire,–

For all my way hath miry been–

Be it by water for by fire,

O make me clean!

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If clearer vision Thou impart,

Grateful and glad my soul shall be;

But yet to have a purer heart

Is more to me.

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Yea, only as the heart is clean

May larger vision yet be mine,

For mirrored in its depths are seen

The things divine.

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I watch to shun the miry way,

And stanch the spring of guilty thought;

But, watch and wrestle as I may,

Pure I am not.

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O wash Thou me without, within,

Or purge with fire, if that must be,–

No matter how, if only sin

Die out in me.

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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.

+++++

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:  A Crucifix

Photograph by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Text (c. 1887) by Eustace Rogers Conder (1820-1892), for the Congregational Church Hymnal, or Hymns of Worship, Praise, and Prayer (1887), Congregational Union of England and Wales

Hymn Source = The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927), several Old World Presbyterian denominations

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Ye fair green hills of Galilee,

That girdle quite Nazareth,

What glorious vision did ye see,

When He who conquered sin and death

Your flowery slopes and summits trod,

and grew in grace with man and God?

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“We saw no  glory crown His head,

As childhood ripened into youth;

No angels on His errands sped;

He wrought no sign; but meekness, truth,

And duty marked each step He trod,

And love to man, and love to God.”

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Jesus! my Saviour, Master, King,

Who didst for me the burden bear,

While saints in heaven Thy glory sing,

Let me on earth Thy likeness wear;

Mine be the path Thy feet have trod,–

Duty, and love to man and God.

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