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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