Above:  World Map, 1570

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1864) by George Thomas Coster (1835-1912)

Hymn Source = The Pilgrim Hymnal (1904)

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From north and south and east and west,

When shall the peoples, long unblest,

All find their everlasting rest,

O Christ, in thee?

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When shall the climes of ageless snow

Be with the gospel light aglow,

And all men their Redeemer know,

O Christ, in thee?

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When on each southern balmy coast,

Shall ransomed men, in countless host,

Rise, heart and voice, to make sweet boast,

O Christ, in thee?

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O when in all the Orient lands,

From cities white and flaming sands,

Shall men lift dedicated hands,

O Christ, to thee?

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O when shall heathen darkness roll

Away in light, from pole to pole,

And endless day by every soul

Be found in thee?

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Bring, Lord, the long-predicted hour,

The ages’ diadem and flower,

When all shall find their refuge, tower,

And home in thee!

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Above:  Icon of St. Luke

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1905) by Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley (1851-1920)

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

A hymn for the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist (October 18)

I detect a theme of medical missions, one of Rawnsley’s favorite causes.

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Saviour, who didst healing give,

Still in power go before us;

Thou through death didst bid men live,

Unto fuller life restore us;

Strengthen from thee the fainting found,

Deaf men heard, the blind went seeing;

At thy touch was banished sickness,

And the leper felt new being.

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Thou didst work thy deeds of old

Through the loving hands of others;

Still thy mercies manifold

Bless men by thy hands of brothers;

Angels still before thy face

Go, sweet health to brothers bringing;

Still, hearts glow to tell his praises

With whose name the Church is ringing.

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Loved physician! for his word

Lo, the Gospel page burns brighter,

Mission servant of the Lord,

Painter true, and perfect writer;

Saviour, of thy bounty send

Such as Luke of Gospel story,

Friends to all in body’s prison

Till the sufferers see thy glory.

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Above:  World Map, 1898

Image in the Public Domain

Text (published in 1922) by Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley (1851-1920)

Hymn Source = The Methodist Hymnal (1935), the Methodist Episcopal Church; the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; and the Methodist Protestant Church

A hymn about medical missions

The Methodist Hymnal (1935) is the only hymnal in my collection to have (1) all five stanzas and (2) the unaltered text of this hymn.

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Father, whose will is life and good

For all of mortal breath

Bind strong the bond of brotherhood

Of those who fight with death.

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Empower the hands and hearts and wills

Of friends in lands afar,

Who battle with the body’s ills,

And wage Thy holy war.

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Where’er they heal the maimed and blind,

Let love of Christ attend:

Proclaim the good Physician’s mind,

And prove the Saviour friend.

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For still His love works wondrous charms,

And, as in days of old,

He takes the wounded to His arms,

And bears them to the fold.

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O Father, look from Heaven and bless

Wheree’er Thy servants be,

Their works of pure unselfishness,

Made consecrate to Thee!

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Above:  A World Map from 1570

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1928) by Frank Mason North (1850-1935)

Hymn Source = The Methodist Hymnal (1935), Methodist Episcopal Church; Methodist Episcopal Church, South; and Methodist Protestant Church

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O Master of the waking world,

Who hast the nations in Thy heart–

The heart that bled and broke to send

God’s love to earth’s remotest part:

Show us anew in Calvary

The wondrous power that makes men free.

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On every side the walls are down,

The gates swing wide to every land,

The restless tribes and races feel

The pressure of Thy pierced hand;

The way is in the sea and air,

Thy world is open everywhere.

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We hear the throb of surging life,

The clank of chains, the curse of greed,

The moan of pain, the futile cries

Of superstition’s cruel creed;

The peoples hunger for Thee, Lord,

The isles are waiting for Thy word.

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Thy witness in the souls of men,

Thy Spirit’s ceaseless, brooding power,

In lands where shadows hide the light,

Await a new creative hour:

O mighty God, set us aflame

To show the glory of Thy Name.

Above:  World Map, 1847

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1823) 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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O Spirit of the living God,

In all Thy plentitude of grace,

Where’er the foot of man hath trod,

Descend on our apostate race.

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Give tongues of fire and hearts of love,

To preach the reconciling word;

Give power and unction from above,

Where’er the joyful sound is heard.

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Be darkness, at Thy coming, light;

Confusion, order in Thy path;

Souls without strength inspire with might;

Bid mercy triumph over wrath.

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O Spirit of the Lord, prepare

All the round earth her God to meet;

Breather Thou abroad like morning air,

Till hearts of stone begin to heat.

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Baptize the nations; far and nigh

The triumphs of the Cross record;

The name of Jesus glorify,

Till every kindred call Him Lord.

Above:  World Map, 1570

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1836) 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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Send out Thy light and truth, O God,

With sound of trumpet from above;

Break not the nations with Thy rod,

But draw them as with cords of love;

Justice and mercy meet,

The work is well begun;

Through every clime their feet,

Who bring salvation, run;

In earth as heaven, Thy will be done.

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Before Thee every idol,fall,

Tend the false prophet’s vail of lies;

The fullness of the Gentiles call;

Be Israel saved, let Jacob rise;

Thy Kingdom come indeed,

Thy Church with union bless,

All Scripture be her creed,

And every tongue confess

One Lord,–the Lord our Righteousness.

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Now, for the travail of His soul,

Messiah’s peaceful reign advance;

From sun to sun, from pole to pole,

He claims His pledged inheritance;

O Thou Most Mighty, gird

Thy sword upon Thy thigh,

That two-edged sword, Thy Word,

By which Thy foes shall die,–

By which Thy foes shall die,–

Then spring, new-born, beneath Thine eye.

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So perish all Thine enemies!

Their enmity alone be slain;

Them in the arms of mercy seize,

Breathe, and their souls shall come again:

So may Thy friends at length,

Oft smitten, oft laid low,

Forth, like the sun in strength,

Conquering, to conquer go,–

Till to Thy throne all nations flow.

Above:  The World, 1945

Image Source = Post World War II Atlas Supplement to Hammond’s New Era Atlas of the World (1945)

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Hymn Source = New Worship and Song (1942), Congregational Christian Churches (U.S.A.)

Words by Oscar Edward Maurer (1878-1950) and Marion Elizabeth Spencer Maurer

Oscar Edward Maurer (1878-1950), ordained a Congregationalist minister in 1906, married Marion Elizabeth Spencer the previous year.  Oscar was active in foreign missions and served as the Moderator of the Congregational Christian Churches.

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The Son of God, the Prince of Peace,

Seeks all the world to gain

For brotherhood and common good;

Who follows in his train?

Who first can curb his own desire,

And selfish pride restrain;

Who quenches hate’s unholy fire,

He follows in his train.

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All fearless souls who love their land,

But claim no better birth

Than that which makes humanity

Akin through all the earth;

Who will not seek by pow’r nor might

Another’s land to chain;

Who lose themselves to win the right:

These follow in his train.

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Make firm our courage, Prince of Peace,

Unite our will as one,

That we from striving may not cease

Until thy peace by won.

Give us thy strength to bear thy cross,

Be true, in spite of pain;

O Christ, to us may grace be given

To follow in thy train!

Above:  The Reading of the Gospel, St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia, February 28, 2016

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Original German Text (1735) by Countess Erdmuth Dorothea von Zinzendorf (1700-1756)

English Translation (1742) by William Delamotte (1718-1743), altered

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) (1923)

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Arise, O Lord, exalt Thy grace,

Thy precious Gospel spread;

That for the travail of Thy soul

Thou mayst behold Thy seed.

Oh may Thy knowledge fill the earth;

Increase the number still

Of those who in Thy Word believe,

And do Thy holy will.

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Lord, by Thy Spirit us prepare

To follow Thy command,

To execute Thy utmost aim,

And in Thy presence stand,

As servants willing to be used,

Who in Thy work delight,

And offer freely praise and prayer

As incense day and night.

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Hereto we gladly say, Amen;

We have this truth avowed,

That we in spirit, body, soul,

Are bound to serve our God,

Who touched, and drew, and wooed our hearts,

And conquered us by love;

To Him we have engaged ourselves,

Oh may we faithful prove.

Above:  The Reading of the Gospel, St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia, February 28, 2016

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1951) by Ferdinand Quincy Blanchard (1876-1966), for the publication of the Old Testament (1952) of the Revised Standard Version

Text copyrighted 1953 by the Hymn Society of America

Copyright renewed in 1981 by the Hymn Society of America

Copyright still in effect in Baptist Hymnal (2008), Southern Baptist Convention; and the Celebrating Grace Hymnal (2010), Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Hymn Source = Baptist Hymnal (1975), Southern Baptist Convention

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Word of God, across the ages

Comes thy message to our life;

Source of hope forever present

In our toil and fears and strife;

Constant witness to God’s mercy,

Still our grace whate’er befall,

Guide unfailing, strength eternal,

Offered freely to us all.

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Story of man’s wondrous journey

From the shadows of the night;

Garnered truth of sage and prophet,

Guiding forward into light;

Words and deeds of Christ our Master,

Pointing to the life and way,

Still appealing, still inspiring,

‘Mid the struggles of today.

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In the tongues of all the peoples

May the message bless and heal,

As devout and patient scholars

More and more its depths reveal;

Bless, O God, to wise and simple,

All thy truth of ageless worth,

Till all lands receive the witness

And thy knowledge fills the earth.

Above:  World Map, 1606

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Harriet Auber (1773-1862)

Hymn Source = Wartburg Hymnal for Church, School and Home (1918), Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa and Other States (1854-1930)

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With hearts in love abounding,

Prepare we now to sing

A lofty theme, resounding

Thy praise, almighty King;

Whose love, rich gifts bestowing,

Redeemed the human race;

Whose lips with zeal o’erflowing,

Breathe the words of truth and grace.

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So reign, O God of heaven,

Eternally the same;

And endless praise be given

To Thy almighty name.

Cloth’d in Thy dazzling brightness,

Thy church on earth behold,

In robe of purest whiteness,

In raiment wrought with gold.

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And let each Gentile nation

Come gladly in her train,

To share Thy great salvation,

And join her grateful strain:

Then ne’er shall note of sadness

Awake the trembling string;

One song of joy and gladness

The ransomed world shall sing.

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