Archive for the ‘The Hymnal (1941)’ Category

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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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Be known to us in breaking bread,
But do not then depart;
Saviour, abide with us, and spread
Thy table in our heart.
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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
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According to Thy gracious word,
In meek humility,
Thy will I do, my dying Lord,
I will remember Thee.
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Thy body, broken for my sake,
My bread from heaven shall be;
Thy testamental cup I take
And thus remember Thee.
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Whom to the cross I turn mine eyes,
And rest on Calvary,
O Lamb of God, my Sacrifice,
I must remember Thee;
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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
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Within the Father’s house
The Son hath found His home;
And to His temple suddenly
The Lord of life hath come.
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The doctors of the law
Gaze on the wondrous Child,
And marvel at His gracious words
Of wisdom undefiled.
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Yet not to them is given
The mighty truth to know,
To lift the fleshly veil which hides
Incarnate God below.
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The secret of the Lord
Escapes each human eye,
And faithful pondering hearts await
The full epiphany.
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Lord, visit Thou our souls,
And teach us by Thy grace
Each dim revealing of Thyself
With loving awe to trace;
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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.
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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.
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Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus, and his word?
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What peaceful hours I then enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.
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Return, O Holy Dove, return,
Sweet messenger of rest;
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
And drove Thee from my breast.
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The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.
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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
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O Lord, turn not Thy face away
From them that lowly lie,
Lamenting sore their sinful life
With tears and bitter cry.
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Thy mercy gates are open wide
To them that mourn their sin;
O shout them not against us, Lord,
But let us enter in.
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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?
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Mercy, O Lord, mercy we ask,
This is the total sum;
For mercy, Lord, is all our prayer,
O let Thy mercy come!
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This is post #1800 of GATHERED PRAYERS.
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